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Wang X, Li Y, Kroll A, Mitrano DM. Differentiating Microplastics from Natural Particles in Aqueous Suspensions Using Flow Cytometry with Machine Learning. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:10240-10251. [PMID: 38803057 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) in natural waters are heterogeneously mixed with other natural particles including algal cells and suspended sediments. An easy-to-use and rapid method for directly measuring and distinguishing MPs from other naturally present colloids in the environment would expedite analytical workflows. Here, we established a database of MP scattering and fluorescence properties, either alone or in mixtures with natural particles, by stain-free flow cytometry. The resulting high-dimensional data were analyzed using machine learning approaches, either unsupervised (e.g., viSNE) or supervised (e.g., random forest algorithms). We assessed our approach in identifying and quantifying model MPs of diverse sizes, morphologies, and polymer compositions in various suspensions including phototrophic microorganisms, suspended biofilms, mineral particles, and sediment. We could precisely quantify MPs in microbial phototrophs and natural sediments with high organic carbon by both machine learning models (identification accuracies over 93%), although it was not possible to distinguish between different MP sizes or polymer compositions. By testing the resulting method in environmental samples through spiking MPs into freshwater samples, we further highlight the applicability of the method to be used as a rapid screening tool for MPs. Collectively, this workflow can be easily applied to a diverse set of samples to assess the presence of MPs in a time-efficient manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjie Wang
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 People's Republic of China
- Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 People's Republic of China
| | - Alexandra Kroll
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Denise M Mitrano
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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Li SX, Gao XR, Yi J, Jia LY, Ren J. A new strategy of using periphyton to simultaneously promote remediation of PAHs-contaminated soil and production of safer crops. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 246:118149. [PMID: 38199466 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118149] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Contaminated farmland leads to serious problems for human health through biomagnification in the soil-crop-human chain. In this paper, we have established a new soil remediation strategy using periphyton for the production of safer rice. Four representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), were chosen to generate artificially contaminated soil. Pot experiments demonstrated that in comparison with rice cultivation in polluted soil with ΣPAHs (50 mg kg-1) but without periphyton, adding periphyton decreased ΣPAHs contents in both rice roots and shoots by 98.98% and 99.76%, respectively, and soil ΣPAHs removal reached 94.19%. Subsequently, risk assessment of ΣPAHs based on toxic equivalent concentration (TEQ), pollution load index (PLI), hazard index (HI), toxic unit for PAHs mixture (TUm), and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) indicated that periphyton lowered the ecological and carcinogenicity risks of PAHs. Besides, the role of periphyton in enhancing the rice productivity was revealed. The results indicated that periphyton alleviated the oxidative stress of PAHs on rice by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increasing total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). Periphyton reduced the toxic stress of PAHs on the soil by promoting soil carbon cycling and metabolic activities as well. Periphyton also improved the soil's physicochemical properties, such as the percentage of soil aggregate, the contents of humic substances (HSs) and nutrients, which increased rice biomass. These findings confirmed that periphyton could improve rice productivity by enhancing soil quality and health. This study provides a new eco-friendly strategy for soil remediation and simultaneously enables the production of safe crops on contaminated land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Xin Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, No.2 Linggong Road, Dalian, 116024, PR China
| | - Xiao-Rong Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, No.2 Linggong Road, Dalian, 116024, PR China.
| | - Jun Yi
- Key Laboratory of Edible Oil Quality and Safety for State Market Regulation, Wuhan, 430040, PR China
| | - Ling-Yun Jia
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, No.2 Linggong Road, Dalian, 116024, PR China
| | - Jun Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, No.2 Linggong Road, Dalian, 116024, PR China
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Blifernez-Klassen O, Hassa J, Reinecke DL, Busche T, Klassen V, Kruse O. Microbial Diversity and Community Structure of Wastewater-Driven Microalgal Biofilms. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2994. [PMID: 38138138 PMCID: PMC10745310 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Dwindling water sources increase the need for efficient wastewater treatment. Solar-driven algal turf scrubber (ATS) system may remediate wastewater by supporting the development and growth of periphytic microbiomes that function and interact in a highly dynamic manner through symbiotic interactions. Using ITS and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we profiled the microbial communities of four microbial biofilms from ATS systems operated with municipal wastewater (mWW), diluted cattle and pig manure (CattleM and PigM), and biogas plant effluent supernatant (BGE) in comparison to the initial inocula and the respective wastewater substrates. The wastewater-driven biofilms differed significantly in their biodiversity and structure, exhibiting an inocula-independent but substrate-dependent establishment of the microbial communities. The prokaryotic communities were comparable among themselves and with other microbiomes of aquatic environments and were dominated by metabolically flexible prokaryotes such as nitrifiers, polyphosphate-accumulating and algicide-producing microorganisms, and anoxygenic photoautotrophs. Striking differences occurred in eukaryotic communities: While the mWW biofilm was characterized by high biodiversity and many filamentous (benthic) microalgae, the agricultural wastewater-fed biofilms consisted of less diverse communities with few benthic taxa mainly inhabited by unicellular chlorophytes and saprophytes/parasites. This study advances our understanding of the microbiome structure and function within the ATS-based wastewater treatment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Blifernez-Klassen
- Algae Biotechnology and Bioenergy, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (O.B.-K.); (V.K.)
| | - Julia Hassa
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany (T.B.)
| | - Diana L. Reinecke
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Strasse, 52428 Juelich, Germany;
| | - Tobias Busche
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany (T.B.)
- Medical School East Westphalia-Lippe, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Viktor Klassen
- Algae Biotechnology and Bioenergy, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (O.B.-K.); (V.K.)
| | - Olaf Kruse
- Algae Biotechnology and Bioenergy, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (O.B.-K.); (V.K.)
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Wang X, Teng Y, Wang X, Xu Y, Li R, Sun Y, Dai S, Hu W, Wang H, Li Y, Fang Y, Luo Y. Nitrogen transfer and cross-feeding between Azotobacter chroococcum and Paracoccus aminovorans promotes pyrene degradation. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:2169-2181. [PMID: 37775536 PMCID: PMC10689768 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01522-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient for degraders function in hydrocarbon-contaminated environments. Biological nitrogen fixation by diazotrophs is a natural solution for supplying bioavailable nitrogen. Here, we determined whether the diazotroph Azotobacter chroococcum HN can provide nitrogen to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium Paracoccus aminovorans HPD-2 and further explored the synergistic interactions that facilitate pyrene degradation in nitrogen-deprived environments. We found that A. chroococcum HN and P. aminovorans HPD-2 grew and degraded pyrene more quickly in co-culture than in monoculture. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy combined with 15N stable isotope probing (SERS - 15N SIP) demonstrated that A. chroococcum HN provided nitrogen to P. aminovorans HPD-2. Metabolite analysis and feeding experiments confirmed that cross-feeding occurred between A. chroococcum HN and P. aminovorans HPD-2 during pyrene degradation. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses further revealed that co-culture significantly upregulated key pathways such as nitrogen fixation, aromatic compound degradation, protein export, and the TCA cycle in A. chroococcum HN and quorum sensing, aromatic compound degradation and ABC transporters in P. aminovorans HPD-2. Phenotypic and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays demonstrated that A. chroococcum HN produced large amounts of biofilm and was located at the bottom of the biofilm in co-culture, whereas P. aminovorans HPD-2 attached to the surface layer and formed a bridge-like structure with A. chroococcum HN. This study demonstrates that distinct syntrophic interactions occur between A. chroococcum HN and P. aminovorans HPD-2 and provides support for their combined use in organic pollutant degradation in nitrogen-deprived environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Teng
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiaomi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yongfeng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Shixiang Dai
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Wenbo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Hongzhe Wang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yanning Li
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Fang
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yongming Luo
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
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Bakenhus I, Jongsma R, Michler-Kozma D, Hölscher L, Gabel F, Holert J, Philipp B. A domesticated photoautotrophic microbial community as a biofilm model system for analyzing the influence of plastic surfaces on invertebrate grazers in limnic environments. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1238913. [PMID: 38033587 PMCID: PMC10687189 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1238913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The environmental fate of plastic particles in water bodies is influenced by microbial biofilm formation. Invertebrate grazers may be affected when foraging biofilms on plastics compared to biofilms on natural substrata but the mechanistic basis for these effects is unknown. For analyzing these effects in ecotoxicological assays stable and reproducible biofilm communities are required that are related to the environmental site of interest. Here, a defined biofilm community was established and used to perform grazing experiments with a freshwater snail. For this, snippets of different plastic materials were incubated in the photic zone of three different freshwater sites. Amplicon sequencing of biofilms formed on these snippets showed that the site of incubation and not the plastic material dominated the microbial community composition. From these biofilms, individual microbial strains as well as photoautotrophic consortia were isolated; these consortia consisted of heterotrophic bacteria that were apparently nourished by microalga. While biofilms formed by defined dual cultures of a microalga and an Alphaproteobacterium were not accepted by the snail P. fontinalis, a photoautotrophic consortium (Co_3) sustained growth and metabolism of this grazer. Amplicon sequencing revealed that consortium Co_3, which could be stably maintained on solid medium under photoautotrophic conditions, reproducibly formed biofilms of a defined composition on three different plastic materials and on glass surfaces. In conclusion, our study shows that the generation of domesticated photoautotrophic microbial communities is a valid novel approach for establishing laboratory ecotoxicological assays with higher environmental relevance than those based on defined microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Insa Bakenhus
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Rense Jongsma
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Lea Hölscher
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Friederike Gabel
- Institute for Landscape Ecology, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Johannes Holert
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Bodo Philipp
- Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Molekulare und Angewandte Ökologie IME, Umweltmikrobiologie, Schmallenberg, Germany
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Vale F, Sousa CA, Sousa H, Simões LC, McBain AJ, Simões M. Bacteria and microalgae associations in periphyton-mechanisms and biotechnological opportunities. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad047. [PMID: 37586879 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms coexist in complex and dynamic structures called periphyton. These structures shape the biogeochemistry and biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. In particular, microalgae-bacteria interactions are a prominent focus of study by microbial ecologists and can provide biotechnological opportunities for numerous applications (i.e. microalgal bloom control, aquaculture, biorefinery, and wastewater bioremediation). In this review, we analyze the species dynamics (i.e. periphyton formation and factors determining the prevalence of one species over another), coexisting communities, exchange of resources, and communication mechanisms of periphytic microalgae and bacteria. We extend periphyton mathematical modelling as a tool to comprehend complex interactions. This review is expected to boost the applicability of microalgae-bacteria consortia, by drawing out knowledge from natural periphyton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Vale
- ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cátia A Sousa
- ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Henrique Sousa
- ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Lúcia C Simões
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- LABBELS - Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Andrew J McBain
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Simões
- ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
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