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Mahony AK, McNamara PJ, Arnold WA. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) in Wastewater Influent and Effluent Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:20148-20158. [PMID: 37934083 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04413] [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] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are used in consumer and industrial products, including disinfectants. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, disinfectant use has increased, purportedly increasing loads to wastewater treatment plants and the environment. To understand how the increased usage has affected QAC loadings to treatment plants and to determine how effectively plants remove QACs from liquid effluent that is discharged to surface and groundwaters, influent and effluent wastewater samples were collected from four treatment plants (treatment capacities < 5 MGD to > 100 MGD) for 21 months beginning in May 2020. Influent QAC concentrations were hundreds of μg/L and effluent QAC concentrations were < 1 μg/L, corresponding to an average removal of 98% from all four plants. The most prevalent QACs in influent were those used most commonly in disinfectants, specifically benzylalkyldimethylammonium compounds (BACs) and short-chain dialkyldimethylammonium compounds (DADMACs), and influent levels of these compounds were correlated with QAC sales. Prior to this study, ethylbenzylalkyldimethylammonium compounds (EtBACs) had not been studied, and they comprised 13 ± 6% of QACs in influent. While removal was high at all plants, low μg/L concentrations were still continuously discharged into the environment. For QACs with equivalent alkyl chain lengths, those with aromatic substituents (BACs and EtBACs) appear to be removed more effectively than those with only alkyl chains (DADMACs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Mahony
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, 500 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Patrick J McNamara
- Department of Civil, Construction, Environmental Engineering, Marquette University, 1515 West Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233 United States
| | - William A Arnold
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, 500 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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Montoya-Vallejo C, Gil Posada JO, Quintero-Díaz JC. Enhancement of Electricity Production in Microbial Fuel Cells Using a Biosurfactant-Producing Co-Culture. Molecules 2023; 28:7833. [PMID: 38067562 PMCID: PMC10708063 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells are bio-electrochemical devices that enable the conversion of chemical energy into bioelectricity. In this manuscript, the use of biosurfactants (Tween 80 and surfactin) and the effect of coculturing E. coli and L. plantarum were used to investigate the generation of bioelectricity coming from an H-type microbial fuel cell. In this setup, E. coli acts as an electron donor while L. plantarum acts as an in situ biosurfactant producer. It was observed that the use of exogenous surfactants enhanced electricity production compared to conventional E. coli cultures. The utilization of Tween 80 and surfactin increased the power generation from 204 µW m-2 to 506 µW m-2 and 577 µW m-2, respectively. Furthermore, co-culturing E. coli and L. plantarum also resulted in a higher power output compared to pure cultures (132.8% more when compared to using E. coli alone and 68.1% more when compared to using L. plantarum alone). Due to the presence of surfactants, the internal resistance of the cell was reduced. The experimental evidence collected here clearly indicates that the production of endogenous surfactants, as well as the addition of exogenous surfactants, will enhance MFC electricity production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan Carlos Quintero-Díaz
- Grupo de Bioprocesos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia; (C.M.-V.); (J.O.G.P.)
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Gaynanova G, Vasileva L, Kashapov R, Kuznetsova D, Kushnazarova R, Tyryshkina A, Vasilieva E, Petrov K, Zakharova L, Sinyashin O. Self-Assembling Drug Formulations with Tunable Permeability and Biodegradability. Molecules 2021; 26:6786. [PMID: 34833877 PMCID: PMC8624506 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26226786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on key topics in the field of drug delivery related to the design of nanocarriers answering the biomedicine criteria, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, and the ability to overcome biological barriers. For these reasons, much attention is paid to the amphiphile-based carriers composed of natural building blocks, lipids, and their structural analogues and synthetic surfactants that are capable of self-assembly with the formation of a variety of supramolecular aggregates. The latter are dynamic structures that can be used as nanocontainers for hydrophobic drugs to increase their solubility and bioavailability. In this section, biodegradable cationic surfactants bearing cleavable fragments are discussed, with ester- and carbamate-containing analogs, as well as amino acid derivatives received special attention. Drug delivery through the biological barriers is a challenging task, which is highlighted by the example of transdermal method of drug administration. In this paper, nonionic surfactants are primarily discussed, including their application for the fabrication of nanocarriers, their surfactant-skin interactions, the mechanisms of modulating their permeability, and the factors controlling drug encapsulation, release, and targeted delivery. Different types of nanocarriers are covered, including niosomes, transfersomes, invasomes and chitosomes, with their morphological specificity, beneficial characteristics and limitations discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulnara Gaynanova
- Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, FRC Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arbuzov Street 8, 420088 Kazan, Russia; (L.V.); (R.K.); (D.K.); (R.K.); (A.T.); (E.V.); (K.P.); (L.Z.); (O.S.)
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Influence of Bio-Based Surfactants on TiO2 Thin Films as Photoanodes for Electro-Photocatalysis. Catalysts 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/catal11101228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Photocatalytic water splitting into hydrogen is considered as one of the key solutions to the current demand for eco-responsible energy. To improve the efficiency and sustainability of this process, the development of a TiO2-based photoanode by adding bio-sourced surfactants to the sol–gel preparation method has been considered. Three different polymeric biosurfactants (GB, GC, and BIO) have been tested, giving rise to three different materials being structurally and morphologically characterized by XRD, Rietveld refinement, BET, SEM, AFM, and XPS, which was completed by light absorption, photocatalytic (Pilkington test), electronic (EIS and C-AFM), and photoelectrochemical (cyclic voltammetry) measurements. Correlations between the structure/morphology of materials and their functional properties have been established. One specific surfactant has been proven as the most suitable to lead to materials with optimized photoelectrochemical performance in direct relation with their photocatalytic properties essentially controlled by their specific surface area.
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Yadav VK, Khan SH, Choudhary N, Tirth V, Kumar P, Ravi RK, Modi S, Khayal A, Shah MP, Sharma P, Godha M. Nanobioremediation: A sustainable approach towards the degradation of sodium dodecyl sulfate in the environment and simulated conditions. J Basic Microbiol 2021; 62:348-360. [PMID: 34528719 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202100217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Nanotechnology has gained huge importance in the field of environmental clean-up today. Due to their remarkable and unique properties, it has shown potential application for the remediation of several pesticides and textile dyes. Recently it has shown positive results for the remediation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). One of the highly exploited surfactants in detergent preparation is anionic surfactants. The SDS selected for the present study is an example of anionic linear alkyl sulfate. It is utilized extensively in industrial washing, which results in the high effluent level of this contaminant and ubiquitously toxic to the environment. The present review is based on the research depicting the adverse effects of SDS in general and possible strategies to minimizing its effects by bacterial degradation which are capable of exploiting the SDS as an only source of carbon. Moreover, it has also highlighted that how nanotechnology can play a role in the remediation of such recalcitrant pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virendra K Yadav
- Department of Microbiology, School of Sciences, P P Savani University, Kosamba, Surat, Gujarat, India.,Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Nanosciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Samreen H Khan
- Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Nanosciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Nisha Choudhary
- Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Nanosciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Vineet Tirth
- Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University Guraiger, Abha, Asir, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Environmental Microbiology, School of Environment and Sustainable Development, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Raman K Ravi
- Environmental Microbiology, School of Environment and Sustainable Development, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Shreya Modi
- Environmental Nanotechnology, School of Nanosciences, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Areeba Khayal
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Maulin P Shah
- Industrial Waste Water Research Laboratory, Division of Applied & Environmental Microbiology, Enviro Technology Limited, Ankleshwar, Gujarat, India
| | - Purva Sharma
- Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Meena Godha
- Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
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Jaén-Gil A, Ferrando-Climent L, Ferrer I, Thurman EM, Rodríguez-Mozaz S, Barceló D, Escudero-Oñate C. Sustainable microalgae-based technology for biotransformation of benzalkonium chloride in oil and gas produced water: A laboratory-scale study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 748:141526. [PMID: 32814300 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Many countries have implemented stringent regulatory standards for discharging produced water (PW) from the oil and gas extraction process. Among the different chemical pollutants occurring in PW, surfactants are widely applied in the oil and gas industry to provide a barrier from metal corrosion. However, the release of these substances from the shale formation can pose serious hazardous impacts on the aquatic environment. In this study, a low-cost and eco-friendly microalgae laboratory-scale technology has been tested for biotransformation of benzalkonium chloride (BACC12 and BACC14) in seawater and PW during 14-days of treatment (spiked at 5 mg/L). From the eight microalgae strains selected, Tetraselmis suecica showed the highest removal rates of about 100% and 54% in seawater and PW, respectively. Suspect screening analysis using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) allowed the identification of 12 isomeric intermediates generated coming from biotransformation mechanisms. Among them, the intermediate [OH-BACC12] was found as the most intense compound generated from BACC12, while the intermediate [2OH-BACC14] was found as the most intense compound generated from BACC14. The suggested chemical structures demonstrated a high reduction on their amphiphilic properties, and thus, their tendency to be adsorbed into sediments after water discharge. In this study, Tetraselmis suecica was classified as the most successful specie to reduce the surfactant activity of benzalkonium chloride in treated effluents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Jaén-Gil
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.
| | | | - Imma Ferrer
- Center for Environmental Mass Spectrometry, University of Colorado, Boulder, United States
| | - E Michael Thurman
- Center for Environmental Mass Spectrometry, University of Colorado, Boulder, United States
| | - Sara Rodríguez-Mozaz
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Damià Barceló
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain; Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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