Contribution of extracellular polymeric substances on representative gram negative and gram positive bacterial deposition in porous media

Bacterial surface properties and transport behavior actively respond to an extracellular polymeric substance gradient in saturated porous media

The transport and retention of bacteria in porous media, such as aquifer, are governed by the solid-liquid interface characteristics and bacterial mobility. The secretion of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) by bacteria modifies their surface property, and thereby has effects on their adhesion to surface. The role of EPS in bacterial mobility within saturated quartz sand media is uncertain, as both promoting and inhibitory effects have been reported, and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the effects of EPS on bacterial transport behavior and possible underlying mechanism were investigated at 4 concentrations (0 mg L-1, 50 mg L-1, 200 mg L-1 and 1000 mg L-1) using laboratory simulation experiments in conjunction with Extend Derjaguin-Landau-Verweu-Overbeek (XDLVO) modeling. The results showed that EPS facilitated bacterial mobility at all tested concentrations. It could be partially explained by the increased energy barrier between bacterial cells and quartz sand surface in the presence of EPS. The XDLVO sphere-plate model predicted that EPS induced a higher electrostatic double layer (EDL) repulsive force, Lewis acid-base (AB) and steric stabilization (ST), as well as a lower Lifshitz-van der Waals (LW) attractive force. However, at the highest EPS concentration (1000 mg L-1), the promotion of EPS on bacterial mobility weakened as a result of lower repulsive interactions between cells, which was supported by observed enhanced bacterial aggregation. Consequently, the increased aggregation led to greater bio-colloidal straining and ripening in the sand column, weakening the positive impact of EPS on bacterial transport. These findings suggested that EPS exhibited concentration-dependent effects on bacterial surface properties and transport behavior and revealed non-intuitive dual effects of EPS on those processes.

Starvation Process Would Induce Different Bacterial Mobilities and Attachment Performances in Porous Media without and with Nutrients on Surfaces

The influence and mechanisms of starvation on the bacterial mobile performance in porous media with different nutrition conditions are not well understood. The present study systematically investigated the impacts of starvation on the mobility and attachment of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains in porous media without and with nutrients on surfaces in both simulated and real water samples. We found that regardless of strain types and water chemistries, starvation would greatly inhibit bacterial attachment onto bare porous media without nutrients yet could significantly enhance cell attachment onto porous media with nutrients on their surfaces. The mechanisms driving the opposite transport behaviors induced by starvation in porous media without and with nutrients were totally different. We found that the starvation process decreased cell motility and increased repulsive force between bacteria and porous media via decreasing cell sizes and zeta potentials, reducing EPS secretion and cell hydrophobicity, thus increasing transport/inhibiting attachment of bacteria in porous media without nutrients on sand surfaces. In contrast, through strengthening the positive chemotactic response of bacteria to nutrients, the starvation process greatly enhanced bacterial attachment onto porous media with nutrients on sand surfaces. Clearly, via modification of the nutrient conditions in porous media, the mobility/attachment performance of bacteria could be regulated.

Antibiotics can alter the bacterial extracellular polymeric substances and surface properties affecting the cotransport of bacteria and antibiotics in porous media

Currently, studies on the environmental impact of antibiotics have focused on toxicity and resistance genes, and gaps exist in research on the effects of antibiotics entering the environment on bacterial surface properties and the synergistic transport of antibiotics and bacteria in porous media. To fill the gaps, we investigated the interactions between bacteria and antibiotics in synergistic transport in saturated porous media and the effects of media particle size, flow rate, and ionic concentration on this synergistic transport. This study revealed that although synergistic transport was complex, the mechanism of action was clear. Antibiotics could affect bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), thus altering their surface hydrophobicity and roughness, thereby affecting bacterial transport. The effects of antibiotics on bacterial transport were dominated by altering bacterial roughness. Antibiotics had a relatively high adsorption on bacteria, so bacterial transport directly affected antibiotic transport. The antibiotic concentrations below a certain threshold increased the bacterial EPS quality, and above the threshold decreased the bacterial EPS quality. This threshold was related to antibiotic toxicity and bacterial type. Bacterial surface hydrophobicity was determined by the combination of proteins and sugars in the EPS, and roughness was positively correlated with the EPS quality.

Influence of flagella and their property on the initial attachment behaviors of bacteria onto plastics

Flagella and their property would influence the initial attachment of bacteria onto plastics, yet their impacts have not been investigated. In present study, four types of E. coli with or without flagella as well as with normal or sticky flagella were utilized to investigate the effects of flagella and their property on the initial attachment behaviors of bacteria onto six types of plastics in freshwater systems. We found that E. coli with flagella exhibited better initial attachment performance onto all six types of plastics than strain without flagella. Flagella could help bacteria swim near to plastics, pierce the energy barrier, and subsequently attach onto plastics. With stronger adhesive force, sticky flagella could further facilitate bacterial attachment onto plastics. Moreover, flagella especially sticky flagella could help bacteria form more rigid attachment layer on plastics. Even with humic acid in suspensions or in river water, flagellar E. coli showed greater attachment onto plastics than E. coli without flagella. Humic acid might adsorb onto sticky flagella and thus decreased the attachment of bacteria with sticky flagella onto plastics. Obviously, flagella as well as their property would impact the initial attachment of bacteria onto plastics and the subsequent formation of plastisphere in freshwater.

Escherichia coli and phosphate interplay mediates transport of nanoscale zero-valent iron synthesized by green tea in water-saturated porous media

Green synthesized nano-zero-valent iron (GT-nZVI) has been considered an excellent material for in-situ soil remediation due to its high stability and environmental benignity. However, sufficient transportability of GT-nZVI downstream towards the contaminated sites, likely affected by the physicochemical properties of soil-groundwater, is required for improved in-situ remediation. Thus, the effect of soil components (i.e., bacteria and phosphate) on GT-nZVI transportability is significant. Hence, we studied the transport of GT-nZVI (Fe0 core wrapped by green tea polyphenols) with the existence of E. coli and phosphate in water-saturated porous sand media in NaCl and CaCl2 solutions at pHs 6.0 and 8.0. Also studied were the stability, surface characteristics, and two-site kinetics attachment modeling (TKAM) with Escherichia coli or/and phosphate. The results showed that phosphate could further enhance GT-nZVI co-transport with E. coli by increasing the negative charge on GT-nZVI at pH 6.0. However, E. coli reduced GT-nZVI mobility at pH 8.0 because the cell-cell interactions could mask the negative charges of pre-deposited GT-nZVI on E. coli, forming the large clusters between GT-nZVI and E. coli. Then, phosphate occurrence diminished E. coli inhibition by detaching GT-nZVI from nZVI-E. coli-phosphate polymers due to the stronger phosphate adsorption on E. coli than GT-nZVI at pH 8.0. Overall, TKAM describes the transport and retention of GT-nZVI adequately under various conditions, indicating the deposition order with k2str value as follows: GT-nZVI alone > with (w.) E. coli > w. phosphate > w. combined E. coli & phosphate at pH 6.0. By contrast, w. phosphate > w. E. coli > w. combined E. coli & phosphate > GT-nZVI alone ensued at pH 8.0. This investigation highlights the transport behavior of GT-nZVI associated with surface property changes in complex environments for effective in-situ remediation.

Physiological characteristics, geochemical properties and hydrological variables influencing pathogen migration in subsurface system: What we know or not?

The global outbreak of coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19) draws attentions in the transport and spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in aerosols, wastewater, surface water and solid wastes. As pathogens eventually enter the subsurface system, e.g., soils in the vadose zone and groundwater in the aquifers, they might survive for a prolonged period of time owing to the uniqueness of subsurface environment. In addition, pathogens can transport in groundwater and contaminate surrounding drinking water sources, possessing long-term and concealed risks to human society. This work critically reviews the influential factors of pathogen migration, unravelling the impacts of pathogenic characteristics, vadose zone physiochemical properties and hydrological variables on the migration of typical pathogens in subsurface system. An assessment algorithm and two rating/weighting schemes are proposed to evaluate the migration abilities and risks of pathogens in subsurface environment. As there is still no evidence about the presence and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in the vadose zones and aquifers, this study also discusses the migration potential and behavior of SARS-CoV-2 viruses in subsurface environment, offering prospective clues and suggestions for its potential risks in drinking water and effective prevention and control from hydrogeological points of view.

Functional group diversity for the adsorption of lead(Pb) to bacterial cells and extracellular polymeric substances

Bacteria and their secreted extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are widely distributed in ecosystems and have high capacity for heavy metal immobilization. The knowledge about the molecular-level interactions with heavy metal ions is essential for predicting the behavior of heavy metals in natural and engineering systems. This comprehensive study using potentiometric titration, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) was able to reveal the functional diversity and adsorption mechanisms for Pb onto bacteira and the EPS in greater detail than ever before. We identified mono-carboxylic, multi-carboxylic, phosphodiester, phosphonic and sulfhydryl sites and found the partitioning of Pb to these functional groups varied between gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial strains, the soluble and cell-bound EPS and Pb concentrations. The sulfhydryl and phosphodiester groups preferentially complexed with Pb in P. putida cells, while multifunctional carboxylic groups promoted Pb adsorption in B. subtilis cells and the protein fractions in EPS. Though the functional site diversity, the adsorption of Pb to organic ligands occurred spontaneously through a universal entropy increase and inner-sphere complexation mechanism. The functional group scale knowledge have implications for the modeling of heavy metal behavior in the environment and application of these biological resources.

Research on rapid cultivation of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) with different feast-famine strategies in continuous flow reactor and achieving high-level denitrification via utilization of soluble microbial product (SMP)

The mixture of partial AGS and flocculent sludge in continuous flow reactors were operated with periodic famine (PF) strategy and continuous feast (CF) strategy to reveal the impact of the feast-famine strategies on cultivation of AGS and the dynamics of microbial communities. The experimental results showed that the mature AGS were cultivated with PF and CF strategy on the 31st and the 71st days respectively, which was the result of good extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) secretion with PF strategy. It could accelerate the formation of microbial aggregates due to the conditions of periodic famine. High-level denitrification with PF strategy via utilization of SMP was examined by EEM-PARAFAC on cycle test. The high-throughput pyrosequencing showed that the dominant bacteria with PF strategy involved functional bacteria of nutrient removal and EPS secreting bacteria, while the dominant bacteria were fast-growing heterotrophic organisms with CF strategy.

Extracellular polymeric substances induced cell-surface interactions facilitate bacteria transport in saturated porous media

Bacteria often respond to dynamic soil environment through the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The EPS modifies cell surface properties and soil pore-scale hydration status, which in turn, influences bacteria transport in soil. However, the effect of soil particle size and EPS-mediated surface properties on bacterial transport in the soil is not well understood. In this study, the simultaneous impacts of EPS and collector size on Escherichia coli (E. coli) transport and deposition in a sand column were investigated. E. coli transport experiments were carried out under steady-state flow in saturated columns packed with quartz sand with different size ranges, including 0.300-0.425 mm (sand-I), 0.212-0.300 mm (sand-II), 0.106-0.150 mm (sand-III) and 0.075-0.106 mm (sand-IV). Bacterial retention increased with decreasing sand collector size, suggesting that straining played an important role in fine-textured media. Both experiment and simulation results showed a clear drop in the retention rate of the bacterial population with the presence of additional EPS (200 mg L-1) (EPS+). The inhibited retention of cells in sand columns under EPS+ scenario was likely attributed to enhanced bacteria hydrophilicity and electrostatic repulsion between cells and sand particles as well as reduced straining. Calculations of the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) interactions energies revealed that high repulsive energy barrier existed between bacterial cells and sand particles in EPS+ environment, primarily due to high repulsive electrostatic force and Lewis acid-base force, as well as low attractive Lifshitz-van der Waals force, which retarded bacterial population deposition. Steric stabilization of EPS would also prevent the approaching of cells close to the quartz surface and thereby hinder cell attachment. This study was the first to show that EPS reduced bacterial straining in saturated porous media. These findings provide new insight into the functional effects of extrinsic EPS on bacterial transport behavior in the saturated soil environment, e.g., aquifers.

Energy Taxis toward Redox-Active Surfaces Decreases the Transport of Electroactive Bacteria in Saturated Porous Media

The fate and transport of bacteria in porous media are essential for bioremediation and water quality control. However, the influence of biological activities like extracellular electron transfer (EET) and swimming motility toward granular media on cell transport remains unknown. Here, electroactive bacteria with higher Fe(III) reduction abilities were found to demonstrate greater retention in ferrihydrite-coated sand. Increasing the concentrations of the electron donor (1-10 mM lactate), shuttle (0-50 μM anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate), and acceptor (ferrihydrite, MnO₂, or biochar) under flow conditions significantly reduced Shewanella oneidensis MR-1's mobility through redox-active porous media. The deficiency of EET ability or flagellar motion and inhibition of intracellular proton motive force, all of which are essential for energy taxis, enhanced MR-1's transport. It was proposed that EET could facilitate MR-1 to sense, tactically move toward, and attach on redox-active media surface, eventually improving its retention. Positive linear correlations were established among parameters describing MR-1's energy taxis ability (relative taxis index), cell transport behavior (dispersion coefficient and relative change of effluent percentage), and redox activity of media surface (reduction potential or electron-accepting rate), providing novel insights into the critical impacts of bacterial microscale motility on macroscale cell transport through porous media.

Flagella and Their Properties Affect the Transport and Deposition Behaviors of Escherichia coli in Quartz Sand

The effects of flagella and their properties on bacterial transport and deposition behaviors were examined by using four types of Escherichia coli (E. coli) with or without flagella, as well as with normal or sticky flagella. Packed column, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, visible parallel-plate flow chamber system, and visible flow chamber packed with porous media system were employed to investigate the deposition mechanisms of bacteria with different properties of flagella. We found that the presence of flagella favored E. coli deposition onto quartz sand/silica surfaces. Moreover, by changing the porous media porosity and directly observing the bacterial deposition process, local sites with high roughness, narrow flow channels, and grain-to-grain contacts were found to be the major sites for bacterial deposition. Particularly, flagella could help bacteria swim near and then deposit at these sites. In addition, we found that due to the stronger adhesive forces, sticky flagella could further enhance bacterial deposition onto quartz sand/silica surfaces. Elution experiments indicated that flagella could help bacteria attach onto sand surfaces more irreversibly. Clearly, flagella and their properties would have obvious impacts on the transport/deposition behaviors of bacteria in porous media.

Impacts of carrier properties, environmental conditions and extracellular polymeric substances on biofilm formation of sieved fine particles from activated sludge

To investigate the effect of properties of carriers, environmental conditions and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on the initial adhesion of biofilm formation in biofilm-based reactors, a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) was applied to monitor the deposition rates and viscoelastic properties of sieved sludge particles on model biocarriers. The results suggested that surface charge, hydrophobicity and surface coating of five representative carriers influenced deposition rates and viscoelastic properties of biofilm, whose variation with NaCl concentrations was controlled by not only the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) interaction but also non-DLVO forces. On hydrophobic surface, the addition of cationic substances enhanced the deposition rates and the compaction of deposited layer due to strong "hydrophobizing effect". For examples, 10 mM Ca²⁺, 10 mM Mg²⁺ and 10 mg/L poly-l-lysine enhanced the deposition rates to nearly 3, 2 and 4 times, as well as reduced the softness of deposited layer to almost 35%, 60% and 35%. Conversely, 10 mg/L negatively charged alginate might cause water retainment and steric shielding, thereby reducing the deposition rates to 40% and increasing the softness of deposited film to 120%. The presence of EPS sub-fractions can modify surface properties of sludge particles, to distinct degrees, contributing to biofilm formation. Notably, compared to tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) was more conducive to microbial attachment, but the presence of LB-EPS promoted the formation of a soft layer on a hydrophobic surface. Overall, these results provide insights into intrinsic mechanisms of the variation of deposition rates and viscoelastic properties responding to critical factors, which are meaningful to predict and regulate the initial adhesion process in biofilm-based reactors.

Transport of a PAH-degrading bacterium in saturated limestone media under various physicochemical conditions: Common and unexpected retention and remobilization behaviors

Laboratory saturated columns packed with granular limestone grains were used to explore the retention and remobilization of functional bacteria FA1 under various physicochemical conditions. The unique surface properties of limestone and FA1 caused some unexpected phenomena. Solution IS, cation type, temperature and surface biological property all affected FA1 retention in the columns. The IS effect was temperature dependent and initial solution pH showed little influence due to the strong buffering ability of limestone. Perturbations of solution IS caused slight release of previously retained bacteria in some columns with NaCl as the background electrolyte, while increase in flow rate caused no release at all. When CaCl₂ was the background, bacterial remobilization only occurred following both cation exchange and IS reduction. DLVO forces incorporating with surface roughness calculation were determined to assist with interpretation of interaction mechanisms. All the experimental evidences suggest the importance of cation bridging, cation exchange, surface roughness, and hydrophobic interaction in controlling bacterium transport in saturated limestone porous media.

Transport and retention of Microcystis aeruginosa in porous media: Impacts of ionic strength, flow rate, media size and pre-oxidization

Due to the climate change and human activity, the frequency and intensity of algal blooms have increased significantly. Recent studies have shown that during the bloom event, evaluated levels of cyanobacteria could infiltrate the drinking water treatment process and emerge in the filtered and disinfected water, thus threatening the safety of the drinking water supply. Among these concerned cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginosa is one of the most commonly detected species that cause algal bloom in a fresh water body. The present work was designed to investigate the transport and retention behaviour of Microcystis aeruginosa in a packed column to resolve the mechanisms that drive the transport behaviour of Microcystis under various operational conditions. The results showed that lab-cultured Microcystis aeruginosa could effectively break through the packed column regardless of ionic strength, media size or flow rate, as well as the presence of dissolved organic matter in the water under the conditions investigated. Such behaviour significantly contradicts those of fluorescent microspheres, which are commonly considered as ideal colloids. In addition, the combined impacts of pre-oxidation technologies and filtration on Microcystis aeruginosa removal were tested systematically. It was found that even the cells have been lysed/oxidized, no significant improvement of cell removals were observed in packed column. This paper provides a significant and comprehensive record of transport and retention behaviour of Microcystis aeruginosa in porous media. The results found herein suggest that in addition to the effort preventing toxin release/exposure during bloom events in source water, engineers and researchers should also pay attention to the transport and retention of Microcystis aeruginosa and other algal cells in filters to minimize the risk of breakthrough of cyanobacteria cells in the drinking water treatment process.

Impact of Al-based coagulants on the formation of aerobic granules: Comparison between poly aluminum chloride (PAC) and aluminum sulfate (AS)

As widely used Al-based coagulants, poly aluminum chloride (PAC) and aluminum sulfate (AS) were adopted in a short term at the start-up stage (from 10th to 16th) to enhance the formation of aerobic granules, and their effects on aerobic granulation were elucidated. The results suggested that both PAC and AS facilitated the granulation by improving the physicochemical properties of sludge. The reactor performance in pollutant removal was also enhanced. Specifically, in terms of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), PAC dosing mainly stimulated the production of loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS), whereas more tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) were secreted with the presence of AS. Based on the elemental analysis, polymeric Al hydrolyzed from PAC mainly worked on the exterior of microbial aggregates, and thus the attached aluminum in granules was gradually eliminated by ion exchange and hydraulic shear force. In contrast, the aluminum species in AS hydrolyzed into monomeric and oligomeric Al, and thus could diffuse into the interior of microbial aggregates and eventually created an "Al-core" in the granules. Overall, the present study describes the AGS formation with Al-based coagulants and the mechanisms of PAC- and AS-enhanced aerobic granulation.

Use of Acorn Leaves as a Natural Coagulant in a Drinking Water Treatment Plant

In this study, the use of acorn leaves as a natural coagulant to reduce raw water turbidity and globally improve drinking water quality was investigated. The raw water was collected from a drinking water treatment plant located in Mila (Algeria) with an initial turbidity of 13.0 ± 0.1 NTU. To obtain acorn leaf powder as a coagulant, the acorn leaves were previously cleaned, washed with tap water, dried, ground and then finely sieved. To improve the coagulant activity and, consequently, the turbidity removal efficiency, the fine powder was also preliminarily treated with different solvents, as follows, in order to extract the coagulant agent: (i) distilled water; (ii) solutions of NaCl (0.25; 0.5 and 1 M); (iii) solutions of NaOH (0.025; 0.05 and 0.1 M); and (iv) solutions of HCl (0.025; 0.05 and 0.1 M). Standard Jar Test assays were conducted to evaluate the performance of the coagulant in the different considered operational conditions. Results of the study indicated that at low turbidity (e.g., 13.0 ± 0.1 NTU), the raw acorn leaf powder and those treated with distilled water (DW) were able to decrease the turbidity to 3.69 ± 0.06 and 1.97 ± 0.03 NTU, respectively. The use of sodium chloride solution (AC-NaCl) at 0.5 M resulted in a high turbidity removal efficiency (91.07%) compared to solutions with different concentrations (0.25 and 1 M). Concerning solutions of sodium hydroxide (AC-NaOH) and hydrogen chloride (AC-HCl), the lowest final turbidities of 1.83 ± 0.13 and 0.92 ± 0.02 NTU were obtained when the concentrations of the solutions were set at 0.05 and 0.1 M, respectively. Finally, in this study, other water quality parameters, such as total alkalinity hardness, pH, electrical conductivity and organic matters content, were measured to assess the coagulant performance on drinking water treatment.

Effects of Escherichia coli and phosphate on the transport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in heterogeneous porous media

Transport behaviors of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO₂) were examined in the individual- and co-presence Escherichia (E.) coli and phosphate in heterogeneous sand (uncoated and iron oxyhydroxide-coated sand) columns. The results showed that for the individual presence of phosphate, the degree of nTiO₂ deposition was less in uncoated than in iron oxide-coated sands. In contrast, an opposite trend that greater deposition of nTiO₂ in uncoated than in coated sands occurred in the individual presence of E. coli. These observations are due to the phosphate adsorption changing the charge of NPs and iron oxyhydroxide-coated sand, or the preferential adhesion of bacterial to coated sand. In the copresence of E. coli and phosphate, interestingly, the phosphate level plays an important role in influencing nTiO₂ transport. At a high phosphate concentration (>1.0 mM), the deposition of nTiO₂ with the individual presence of E. coli was stronger than nTiO₂ in the copresence of both E. coli and phosphate, regardless of sand type. The potential mechanism was that phosphate adsorption led to the formation of more negatively charged NPs-bacteria complexes that have higher mobility in sand columns. At a low phosphate level (≤0.1 mM), a similar observation occurred in uncoated sand. Nevertheless, the deposition of nTiO₂ with copresence of E. coli and phosphate was greater than nTiO₂ with E. coli in oxyhydroxide-coated sand. It was attributed to the formation of large NPs-bacteria-phosphate clusters (less mobile) and the preferential adhesion of E. coli cells to iron oxyhydroxide coating simultaneously. Taken together, our findings provide crucial knowledge for better understanding the fate, transport, and potential risks of engineered nanoparticles in complicated environmental settings where bacteria and phosphate are ubiquitous.

Influence of Nano- and Microplastic Particles on the Transport and Deposition Behaviors of Bacteria in Quartz Sand

Plastic particles are widely present in the natural environment and are highly likely to interact with bacteria (the ubiquitous microbes in the natural environment), which might affect the transport and deposition of bacteria in porous media. In this study, the significance of plastic particles from nanoscale to micrometer-scale (0.02-2 μm) on the transport and deposition behaviors of bacteria ( Escherichia coli) in quartz sand was examined under environmentally relevant conditions in both NaCl and CaCl₂ solutions at pH 6. The results showed that the presence of different-sized plastic particles did not affect bacterial transport behaviors at low ionic strength (10 mM NaCl and 1 mM CaCl₂), whereas, at high ionic strength conditions (50 mM NaCl and 5 mM in CaCl₂), plastic particles increased bacterial transport in quartz sand. At low ionic strength conditions, the mobility of both plastic particles and bacteria was high, which might drive the negligible effects of plastic particles on bacterial transport behaviors. The mechanisms driving the enhanced cell transport at high ionic strength were different for different-sized plastic particles. Specifically, for 0.02 μm nanoplastic particles, the adsorption of plastic particles onto cell surfaces and the repel effect induced by suspended plastic particles contributed to the increased cell transport. As for 0.2 μm microplastics (MPs), the suspended plastic particles induced  repel effect contributed to the increased cell transport, whereas, for 2 μm MPs, the competition deposition sites by the plastic particles were the contributor to the increased cell transport.

Different electrically charged proteins result in diverse bacterial transport behaviors in porous media

The influence of proteins on bacterial transport and deposition behaviors in quartz sand was examined in both NaCl (10 and 25 mM) and CaCl₂ solutions (1.2 and 5 mM). Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and bovine trypsin were used to represent negatively and positively charged proteins in natural aquatic systems, respectively. The presence of negatively charged BSA in suspensions increased the transport and decreased bacterial deposition in quartz sand, regardless of the ionic strength and ion types. Whereas, positively charged trypsin inhibited the transport and enhanced bacterial deposition under all experimental conditions. The potential mechanisms controlling the changes of bacterial transport behaviors varied for different charged proteins. The steric repulsion resulting from BSA adsorption onto both bacteria and quartz sand was found to play a dominant role in the transport and deposition of bacteria in porous media with BSA copresent in suspension. BSA adsorption onto bacterial surfaces and competition for deposition sites onto sand surfaces (adsorption of quartz sand surfaces) contributed to the increased cell transport with BSA in suspension. In contrast, the attractive patch-charged interaction induced by the adsorption of trypsin onto both bacteria and quartz sand had great contribution to the decreased bacterial transport in porous media with trypsin copresent in suspension. The increase in bacteria size, and the adsorption of trypsin onto cell surfaces (resulting in less negative cell surface charge) and quartz sand surfaces (providing extra deposition sites) were found to be the main contributors to the decreased transport and increased deposition of bacteria in quartz sand with trypsin in suspension.

Influence of Bisphenol A on the transport and deposition behaviors of bacteria in quartz sand

The influence of Bisphenol A (BPA) on the transport and deposition behaviors of bacteria in quartz sand was examined in both NaCl (10 and 25 mM) and CaCl₂ solutions (1.2 and 5 mM) by comparing the breakthrough curves and retained profiles of cell with BPA in suspensions versus those without BPA. Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis were employed as model cells in the present study. The extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek interaction energy calculation revealed that the presence of BPA in cell suspensions led to a lower repulsive interaction between the cells and the quartz sand. This suggests that, theoretically, increased cell deposition on quartz sand would be expected in the presence of BPA. However, under all examined solution conditions, the presence of BPA in cell suspensions increased transport and decreased deposition of bacteria in porous media regardless of cell type, ionic strength, ion valence, the presence or absence of extracellular polymeric substances. We found that competition by BPA through hydrophobicity for deposition sites on the quartz sand surfaces was the sole contributor to the enhanced transport and decreased deposition of bacteria in the presence of BPA.

Significant enhancement by biochar of caproate production via chain elongation

In this study, biochar was introduced into a chain elongation system to enhance the bioproduction of caproate and caprylate. The concentration of caproate increased to 21.1 g/L upon the addition of biochar, which is the highest level of caproate reported for such a system to date when ethanol was used as electron donor. The addition of biochar created a tougher system with more stable microorganism community structure for chain elongation, in which no obvious inhibition by products or substrates was observed, moreover, the lag phase was reduced 2.3-fold compared to the system without biochar. These reinforcement effect of biochar are attributed to the enhanced conductivity due to the significant enrichment of functional microorganisms via the microbial network surrounding smaller biochar particles, and via the adsorption on the rough surfaces or pores of larger particles, which facilitated electron transfer. Higher amounts of extracellular polymer substances and higher conductivity induced by biochar could contribute to the reinforcement effect in chain elongation.

Efficient Photocatalytic Disinfection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 using C70-TiO2 Hybrid under Visible Light Irradiation

Efficient photocatalytic disinfection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was achieved by using a C70 modified TiO2 (C70-TiO2) hybrid as a photocatalyst under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation. Disinfection experiments showed that 73% of E. coli O157:H7 died within 2 h with a disinfection rate constant of k = 0.01 min(-1), which is three times that measured for TiO2. The mechanism of cell death was investigated by using several scavengers combined with a partition system. The results revealed that diffusing hydroxyl radicals play an important role in the photocatalytically initiated bacterial death, and direct contact between C70-TiO2 hybrid and bacteria is not indispensable in the photocatalytic disinfection process. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of bacteria have little effect on the disinfection efficiency. Analyses of the inhibitory effect of C70-TiO2 thin films on E. coli O157:H7 showed a decrease of the bacterial concentration from 3 × 10(8) to 38 cfu mL(-1) in the solution with C70-TiO2 thin film in the first 2 h of irradiation and a complete inhibition of the growth of E. coli O157:H7 in the later 24 h irradiation.

Influence of Perfluorooctanoic Acid on the Transport and Deposition Behaviors of Bacteria in Quartz Sand

The significance of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on the transport and deposition behaviors of bacteria (Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis) in quartz sand is examined in both NaCl and CaCl2 solutions at pH 5.6 by comparing both breakthrough curves and retained profiles with PFOA in solutions versus those without PFOA. All test conditions are found to be highly unfavorable for cell deposition regardless of the presence of PFOA; however, 7%-46% cell deposition is observed depending on the conditions. The cell deposition may be attributed to micro- or nanoscale roughness and/or to chemical heterogeneity of the sand surface. The results show that, under all examined conditions, PFOA in suspensions increases cell transport and decreases cell deposition in porous media regardless of cell type, presence or absence of extracellular polymeric substances, ionic strength, and ion valence. We find that the additional repulsion between bacteria and quartz sand caused by both acid-base interaction and steric repulsion as well as the competition for deposition sites on quartz sand surfaces by PFOA are responsible for the enhanced transport and decreased deposition of bacteria with PFOA in solutions.

Cotransport of bacteria with hematite in porous media: Effects of ion valence and humic acid

This study investigated the influence of multiple colloids (hematite and humic acid) on the transport and deposition of bacteria (Escherichia coli) in packed porous media in both NaCl (5 mM) and CaCl2 (1 mM) solutions at pH 6. Due to the alteration of cell physicochemical properties, the presence of hematite and humic acid in cell suspensions significantly affected bacterial transport and deposition in quartz sand. Specifically, the presence of hematite (5 mg/L) decreased cell transport (increased cell deposition) in quartz sand in both NaCl and CaCl2 solutions, which could be attributed to the less negative overall zeta potentials of bacteria induced by the adsorption of positively charged hematite onto cell surfaces. The presence of a low concentration (0.1 mg/L) of humic acid in bacteria and hematite mixed suspensions reduced the adsorption of hematite onto cell surfaces, leading to increased cell transport in quartz sand in NaCl solutions, whereas, in CaCl2 solutions, the presence of 0.1 mg/L humic acid increased the formation of hematite-cell aggregates and thus decreased cell transport in quartz sand. When the concentration of humic acid was increased to 1 mg/L, enhanced cell transport was observed in both NaCl and CaCl2 solutions. The decreased adsorption of hematite onto cell surfaces as well as the competition of deposition sites on quartz sand with bacteria by the suspended humic acid contributed to the increased cell transport.

Individual and Co Transport Study of Titanium Dioxide NPs and Zinc Oxide NPs in Porous Media

The impact of pH and ionic strength on the mobility (individual and co-transport) and deposition kinetics of TiO2 and ZnO NPs in porous media was systematically investigated in this study. Packed column experiments were performed over a series of environmentally relevant ionic strengths with both NaCl (0.1-10 mM) and CaCl2 (0.01-0.1mM) solutions and at pH 5, 7, and 9. The transport of TiO2 NPs at pH 5 was not significantly affected by ZnO NPs in solution. At pH 7, a decrease in TiO2 NP transport was noted with co-existence of ZnO NPs, while at pH 9 an increase in the transport was observed. At pH 5 and 7, the transport of ZnO NPs was decreased when TiO2 NPs was present in the solution, and at pH 9, an increase was noted. The breakthrough curves (BTC) were noted to be sensitive to the solution chemistries; the decrease in the breakthrough plateau with increasing ionic strength was observed under all examined pH (5, 7, and 9). The retention profiles were the inverse of the plateaus of BTCs, as expected from mass balance considerations. Overall, the results from this study suggest that solution chemistries (ionic strength and pH) are likely the key factors that govern the individual and co-transport behavior of TiO2 and ZnO NPs in sand.

Transport and viability of Escherichia coli cells in clean and iron oxide coated sand following coating with silver nanoparticles

A mechanistic understanding of processes controlling the transport and viability of bacteria in porous media is critical for designing in situ bioremediation and microbiological water decontamination programs. We investigated the combined influence of coating sand with iron oxide and silver nanoparticles on the transport and viability of Escherichia coli cells under saturated conditions. Results showed that iron oxide coatings increase cell deposition which was generally reversed by silver nanoparticle coatings in the early stages of injection. These observations are consistent with short-term, particle surface charge controls on bacteria transport, where a negatively charged surface induced by silver nanoparticles reverses the positive charge due to iron oxide coatings, but columns eventually recovered irreversible cell deposition. Silver nanoparticle coatings significantly increased cell inactivation during transit through the columns. However, when viability data is normalised to volume throughput, only a small improvement in cell inactivation is observed for silver nanoparticle coated sands relative to iron oxide coating alone. This counterintuitive result underscores the importance of net surface charge in controlling cell transport and inactivation and implies that the extra cost for implementing silver nanoparticle coatings on porous beds coated with iron oxides may not be justified in designing point of use water filters in low income countries.

Experimental and theoretical approaches for the surface interaction between copper and activated sludge microorganisms at molecular scale

Interactions between metals and activated sludge microorganisms substantially affect the speciation, immobilization, transport, and bioavailability of trace heavy metals in biological wastewater treatment plants. In this study, the interaction of Cu(II), a typical heavy metal, onto activated sludge microorganisms was studied in-depth using a multi-technique approach. The complexing structure of Cu(II) on microbial surface was revealed by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis. EPR spectra indicated that Cu(II) was held in inner-sphere surface complexes of octahedral coordination with tetragonal distortion of axial elongation. XAFS analysis further suggested that the surface complexation between Cu(II) and microbial cells was the distorted inner-sphere coordinated octahedra containing four short equatorial bonds and two elongated axial bonds. To further validate the results obtained from the XAFS and EPR analysis, density functional theory calculations were carried out to explore the structural geometry of the Cu complexes. These results are useful to better understand the speciation, immobilization, transport, and bioavailability of metals in biological wastewater treatment plants.

Effect of carbon nanotubes on the transport and retention of bacteria in saturated porous media

This study investigated the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the transport and retention behaviors of bacteria (E. coli) in packed porous media at both low and high ionic strength in NaCl and CaCl2 solutions. At low ionic strengths (5 mM NaCl and 0.3 mM CaCl2), both breakthrough curves and retained profiles of bacteria with CNTs (both 5 and 10 mg L(-1)) were equivalent to those without CNTs, indicating the presence of CNTs did not affect the transport and retention of E. coli at low ionic strengths. The results were supported by those from cell characterization tests (i.e., viability, surface properties, sizes), which showed no significant difference between with and without CNTs. In contrast, breakthrough curves of bacteria with CNTs were lower than those without CNTs at high ionic strengths (25 mM NaCl and 1.2 mM CaCl2), suggesting that the presence of CNTs decreased cell transport at high ionic strengths. The enhanced bacterial deposition in the presence of CNTs was mainly observed at segments near the column inlet, leading to much steeper retained profiles relative to those without CNTs. Additional transport experiments conducted with sand columns predeposited with CNTs revealed that the codeposition of bacteria with CNTs, as well as the deposition of the cell-CNTs cluster formed in cell suspension due to cell bridging effect, largely contributed to the increased deposition of bacteria at high ionic strengths in porous media.

Cotransport of titanium dioxide and fullerene nanoparticles in saturated porous media

This study investigated the cotransport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2) and fullerene nanoparticles (nC60), two of the most widely utilized nanoparticles, in saturated quartz sand under a series of ionic strengths in NaCl solutions (0.1-10 mM) at both pH 5 and 7. Under all examined ionic strengths at pH 5, both breakthrough curves and retained profiles of nTiO2 in the copresence of nC60 were similar to those without nC60, indicating that nC60 nanoparticles copresent in suspensions did not significantly affect the transport and retention of nTiO2 in quartz sand at pH 5. In contrast, under all examined ionic strengths at pH 7, the breakthrough curves of nTiO2 in the copresence of nC60 in suspensions were higher and the retained profiles were lower than those without nC60, which demonstrated that the presence of nC60 in suspensions increased the rate of transport (decreased retention) of nTiO2 in quartz sand at pH 7. Competition of deposition sites on quartz sand surfaces by the copresence of nC60 was found to contribute to the increased nTiO2 transport at pH 7. Under all examined ionic strength conditions at both pH 5 and 7, the breakthrough curves of nC60 were reduced in the copresence of nTiO2, and the corresponding retained profiles were higher than those without nTiO2, indicating that the presence of nTiO2 decreased the transport of nC60 in quartz sand. Co-deposition of nC60 with nTiO2 in the form of nTiO2-nC60 clusters as well as the deposition of nC60 onto previously deposited nTiO2 were responsible for the increased nC60 deposition in the presence of nTiO2 at pH 5, whereas deposition of nC60 onto surfaces of predeposited nTiO2 was found to be responsible for the increased nC60 deposition at pH 7.

Extraction and characterization of extracellular polymeric substances in biofilm and sludge via completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite system

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were extracted from sludge and biofilm via the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) system. Tightly bound (TB)-EPS were extracted using four physical methods, namely, cationic exchange resin (CER), sonication, heating, and steaming. CER was the most effective and most suitable method for extraction among the four methods. Moreover, the ultraviolet-vis spectra of TB-EPS indicated that few cells were destroyed by the CER method. The major component contents of total EPS, proteins, carbohydrates, humic substances, and DNA in sludge were 60.77, 49.84, 21.63, and 9.01 mg/g volatile suspended solids (VSS) and 90.03, 29.01, 15.96, and 10.04 mg/g VSS in biofilm, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra results indicated differences in the EPS functional groups between biofilm and sludge. The results of the batch experiments showed that the biofilm activity was significantly higher than that of the sludge in the CANON system. Furthermore, biomass activity was probably influenced by the EPS composition and distribution in the sludge and biofilm.

Influence of bentonite particles on representative gram negative and gram positive bacterial deposition in porous media

The significance of clay particles on the transport and deposition kinetics of bacteria in irregular quartz sand was examined by direct comparison of both breakthrough curves and retained profiles with clay particles in bacteria suspension versus those without clay particles. Two representative cell types, Gram-negative strain E. coli DH5α and Gram-positive strain Bacillus subtilis were utilized to systematically determine the influence of clay particles (bentonite) on cell transport behavior. Packed column experiments for both cell types were conducted in both NaCl (5 and 25 mM ionic strengths) and CaCl(2) (5 mM ionic strength) solutions at pH 6.0. The breakthrough plateaus with bentonite in solutions (30 mg L(-1) and 50 mg L(-1)) were lower than those without bentonite for both cell types under all examined conditions, indicating that bentonite in solutions decreased cell transport in porous media regardless of cell types (Gram-negative or Gram-positive) and solution chemistry (ionic strength and ion valence). The enhanced cell deposition with bentonite particles was mainly observed at segments near to column inlet, retained profiles for both cell types with bentonite particles were therefore steeper relative to those without bentonite. The increased cell deposition with bentonite observed in NaCl solutions was attributed to the codeposition of bacteria with bentonite particles whereas, in addition to codeposition of bacteria with bentonite, the bacteria-bentonite-bacteria cluster formed in suspensions also contributed to the increased deposition of bacteria with bentonite in CaCl(2) solution.

Fecal indicator bacteria transport and deposition in saturated and unsaturated porous media

Beach sediment and sand are recognized as nonpoint fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) sources capable of causing water quality and health risks for beach-goers. A comprehensive understanding of the key factors and mechanisms governing the migration and exchange of FIB between beach water column and sediment is desired to better predict FIB concentration variations and assess the associated risk. The transport and retention behavior of two model FIB Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) was examined using packed-bed columns in both saturated and unsaturated porous media to evaluate FIB migration potentials at conditions simulating the coastal aquatic environment. Additionally, complementary cell characterization techniques were conducted to better understand the migration behaviors of both FIB strains observed in the column experiments. The mobility of the gram-positive species E. faecalis was much more sensitive to solution chemistry and column saturation level than that of the gram-negative species E. coli. Interaction energy calculations suggest that E. faecalis retention was largely governed by the combination of DLVO (Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek) and non-DLVO (most likely hydrophobic and/or polymer bridging) interactions in saturated porous media, while the combination of DLVO and steric interactions controlled the deposition of E. coli cells. The measured surface properties of the two FIB strains supported the distinct bacteria transport behaviors and the differences of the identified mechanisms for each strain. As a result, E. faecalis showed the least affinity to sand in freshwater and appeared to be irreversibly attached in primary energy minima at elevated salt conditions; whereas the retained E. coli cells were reversibly attached and mostly associated with the secondary energy minima at both freshwater and seawater conditions. In unsaturated porous media, E. faecalis cells seemed to prefer to attachment at air/water interface rather than sand surface, while E. coli showed a similar affinity to the two interfaces. It was proposed that the different surface characteristics of the two FIB strains resulted in the distinct transport and retention behavior in porous media. These results highlight the need for FIB management to consider variations in transport behavior between model FIB when assessing water quality and associated risks.

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of microbial aggregates in biological wastewater treatment systems: a review

A review concerning the definition, extraction, characterization, production and functions of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of microbial aggregates in biological wastewater treatment reactors is given in this paper. EPS are a complex high-molecular-weight mixture of polymers excreted by microorganisms, produced from cell lysis and adsorbed organic matter from wastewater. They are a major component in microbial aggregates for keeping them together in a three-dimensional matrix. Their characteristics (e.g., adsorption abilities, biodegradability and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity) and the contents of the main components (e.g., carbohydrates, proteins, humic substances and nucleic acids) in EPS are found to crucially affect the properties of microbial aggregates, such as mass transfer, surface characteristics, adsorption ability, stability, the formation of microbial aggregates etc. However, as EPS are very complex, the knowledge regarding EPS is far from complete and much work is still required to fully understand their precise roles in the biological treatment process.