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Yang B, Wang B, Bin L, Chen W, Chen X, Li P, Wen S, Huang S, Zhang Z, Tang B. Evaluation of the shear stability of aerobic granular sludge from a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor: Establishment of a quantitative method. J Environ Sci (China) 2025; 148:579-590. [PMID: 39095191 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2024.01.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
This work established a quantitative method to access the shear stability of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and validated its feasibility by using the mature AGS from a pilot-scale (50 tons/day) membrane bioreactor (MBR) for treating real municipal wastewater. The results showed that the changing rate (ΔS) of the peak area (S) of granule size distribution (GSD) exhibited an exponential relationship (R2≥0.76) with the shear time (y=a-b·cx), which was a suitable indicative index to reflect the shear stability of different AGS samples. The limiting granule size (LGS) was defined and proposed to characterize the equilibrium size for AGS after being sheared for a period of time, whose value in terms of Dv50 showed high correlation (R2=0.92) with the parameter a. The free Ca2+ (28.44-34.21 mg/L) in the influent specifically interacted with polysaccharides (PS) in the granule's extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) as a nucleation site, thereby inducing the formation of Ca precipitation to enhance its Young's modulus, while Ca2+ primarily interacted with PS in soluble metabolic product (SMP) during the initial granulation process. Furthermore, the Young's modulus significantly affected the parameter a related to shear stability (R2=0.99). Since the parameter a was more closely related (R2=1.00) to ΔS than that of the parameter b or c, the excellent correlation (R2=0.99) between the parameter a and the wet density further verified the feasibility of this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Yang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Bingduo Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liying Bin
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Weirui Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xinyi Chen
- Guangdong Guangshen Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, China
| | - Ping Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shanglong Wen
- Guangdong Guangshen Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, China
| | - Shaosong Huang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhiqi Zhang
- Guangdong Yuehai Water Investment Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Bing Tang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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2
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Yan A, Pan Z, Liang Y, Mo X, Guo T, Li J. Archaea communities in aerobic granular sludge: A mini-review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:174974. [PMID: 39053544 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174974] [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: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Recent research on the archaea community in aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has attracted considerable attention. This review summarizes the existing literature on composition, distribution, and related functions of archaea community in AGS. Furthermore, the effects of granulation, substrate, temperature, process types, and aeration models on the archaea community were discussed. Significantly, the layered structure of AGS facilitates the enrichment of archaea, including methanogenic archaea and ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Archaea engage in metabolic interactions with other microorganisms, enhancing the ecological functionalities of AGS and its tolerance to adverse conditions. Future investigations should focus on minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and exploring the roles and interactive mechanisms of archaea and other microorganisms within AGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Yan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Zengrui Pan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Yifan Liang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Xinyan Mo
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Tao Guo
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
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3
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Pan K, Qian Z, Guo T, Chen Y, Li F, Ding M, Ma X, Li J. Effects of iron-carbon on nitrogen metabolism of floc and aerobic granular sludge. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 413:131376. [PMID: 39214173 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process had been extensively studied for its simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) capabilities. Iron-carbon (IC) had enhanced AGS nitrogen removal efficiency, but the mechanism remained unclear. In this study, four reactors had been added with 50, 30, 10, and 0 g/L of IC. Total nitrogen removal efficiency increased with IC dosage under the same operation mode. IC enhanced sludge ammonia oxidation rate, denitrification rate, and specific oxygen uptake rate, allowing SND to complete 60 min earlier, potentially reducing wastewater treatment costs. Notably, IC eliminated nitrite accumulation in conventional AGS effluent. IC decreased the abundance of genes and enzyme activities related to NOR expression, while increasing those related to NOS, which may mitigate the potential for nitrous oxide formation by microorganisms. In this study, IC acted as an enzymatic reaction activator, affecting granules more than flocs, with the activity gap gradually decreasing with the IC dosage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Pan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
| | - Zhou Qian
- Zhejiang Heze Environmental Technology Co., Ltd, Huzhou 313100, PR China
| | - Tao Guo
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
| | - Yunxin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China
| | - Fei Li
- Zhejiang Heze Environmental Technology Co., Ltd, Huzhou 313100, PR China
| | - Mengting Ding
- Zhejiang Heze Environmental Technology Co., Ltd, Huzhou 313100, PR China
| | - Xiao Ma
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Ecological Treatment Technology for Urban Water Pollution, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, PR China
| | - Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, PR China.
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Zhou H, Long J, Qin M, Ji X, Wang J, Qian F, Shen Y, Liu W. Successful operation of nitrifying granules at low pH in a continuous-flow reactor: Nitrification performance, granule stability, and microbial community. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 366:121793. [PMID: 38991342 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121793] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Acidic nitrification, as a novel process for treating wastewater without sufficient alkalinity, has received increasing attention over the years. In this study, a continuous-flow reactor with aerobic granular sludge was successful operated at low pH (<6.5) performing high-rate acidic nitrification. Volumetric ammonium oxidation rate of 0.4-1.2 kg/(m3·d) were achieved with the specific biomass activities of 5.8-13.9 mg N/(gVSS·h). Stable partial nitritation with nitrite accumulation efficiency over 85% could be maintained at pH above 6 with the aid of residual ammonium, whereas the nitrite accumulation disappeared when pH was below 6. Interestingly, the granule morphology significantly improved during the acidic operation. The increased secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (especially polysaccharides) suggested a self-protective behavior of microbes in the aerobic granules against acidic stress. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analyses indicated that Candidatus Nitrospira defluvii was always the dominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, while the dominant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria shifted from Nitrosomonas europaea to Nitrosomonas mobilis. This study, for the first time, demonstrated the improved stability of aerobic granules under acidic conditions, and also highlighted aerobic granules as a useful solution to achieve high-rate acidic nitrification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Jing Long
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Manyu Qin
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Xiaoming Ji
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jianfang Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Feiyue Qian
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Yaoliang Shen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China
| | - Wenru Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China; National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China.
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5
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Haaksman VA, van Dijk EJH, Al-Zuhairy S, Mulders M, Loosdrecht MCMV, Pronk M. Utilizing anaerobic substrate distribution for growth of aerobic granular sludge in continuous-flow reactors. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 257:121531. [PMID: 38701553 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121531] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The development of continuous flow reactors (CFRs) employing aerobic granular sludge (AGS) for the retrofit of existing wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using a continuous-flow activated sludge (CFAS) system has garnered increasing interest. This follows the worldwide adoption of AGS technology in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). The better settleability of AGS compared to AS allows for process intensification of existing wastewater treatment plants without the difficult conversion of often relatively shallow CFRs to deeper AGS-SBRs. To retrofit existing CFAS systems with AGS, achieving both increased hydraulic capacity and enhanced biological nutrient removal necessitates the formation of granular sludge based on the same selective pressures applied in AGS-SBRs. Previous efforts have focussed mainly on the selective wasting of flocculent sludge and retaining granular sludge to drive aerobic granulation. In this study a pilot-scale CFR was developed to best mimic the implementation of the granulation mechanisms of full-scale AGS-SBRs. The pilot-scale reactor was fed with pre-settled municipal wastewater. We established metrics to assess the degree to which the proposed mechanisms were implemented in the pilot-scale CFR and compared them to data from full-scale AGS-SBRs, specifically with respect to the anaerobic distribution of granule forming substrates (GFS). The selective pressures for granular sludge formation were implemented through inclusion of anaerobic upflow selectors with a water depth of 2.5 meters, which yielded a sludge with properties similar to AGS from full-scale SBRs. In comparison to the CFAS system at Harnaschpolder WWTP treating the same pre-settled wastewater, a more than twofold increase in volumetric removal capacity for both phosphorus and nitrogen was achieved. The use of a completely mixed anaerobic selector, as opposed to an anaerobic upflow selector, caused a shift in EBPR activity from the largest towards the smallest size class, while nitrification was majorly unaffected. Anaerobic selective feeding via bottom-feeding is, therefore, favorable for the long-term stability of AGS, especially for less acidified wastewater. The research underlines the potential of AGS for enhancing the hydraulic and biological treatment capacity of existing CFAS systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor A Haaksman
- Delfluent Services, Peuldreef 4, Den Hoorn, 2635 BX, The Netherlands.
| | | | - Salah Al-Zuhairy
- Delfluent Services, Peuldreef 4, Den Hoorn, 2635 BX, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Mulders
- Delfluent Services, Peuldreef 4, Den Hoorn, 2635 BX, The Netherlands
| | - Mark C M van Loosdrecht
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Mario Pronk
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands; Royal HaskoningDHV, Laan 1914 35, Amersfoort, 3800 AL, The Netherlands.
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6
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Lou B, Yang Z, Zheng S, Ou D, Hu W, Ai N. Characteristics, Performance and Microbial Response of Aerobic Granular Sludge for Treating Tetracycline Hypersaline Pharmaceutical Wastewater. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1173. [PMID: 38930555 PMCID: PMC11206034 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Salt-tolerant aerobic granular sludge(AGS) was successfully cultivated under the dual stress of tetracycline and 2.5% salinity, resulting in an average particle size of 435.0 ± 0.5 and exhibiting a chemical oxygen demand(COD) removal rate exceeding 80%, as well as excellent sedimentation performance. The analysis of metagenomics technology revealed a significant pattern of succession in the development of AGS. The proportion of Oleiagrimonas, a type of salt-tolerant bacteria, exhibited a gradual increase and reached 38.07% after 42 days, which indicated that an AGS system based on moderate halophilic bacteria was successfully constructed. The expression levels of targeted genes were found to be reduced across the entire AGS process and formation, as evidenced by qPCR analysis. The presence of int1 (7.67 log10 gene copies g-1 in 0 d sludge sample) enabled microbes to horizontally transfer ARGs genes along the AGS formation under the double pressure of TC and 2.5% salinity. These findings will enhance our understanding of ARG profiles and the development in AGS under tetracycline pressure, providing a foundation for guiding the use of AGS to treat hypersaline pharmaceutical wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bichen Lou
- College of Biological, Chemical Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China; (B.L.)
| | - Zhonghui Yang
- College of Biological, Chemical Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China; (B.L.)
- College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Shengyan Zheng
- College of Biological, Chemical Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China; (B.L.)
| | - Dong Ou
- College of Biological, Chemical Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China; (B.L.)
| | - Wanpeng Hu
- College of Biological, Chemical Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China; (B.L.)
| | - Ning Ai
- College of Biological, Chemical Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China; (B.L.)
- College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
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7
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Liu H, Al-Dhabi NA, Jiang H, Liu B, Qing T, Feng B, Ma T, Tang W, Zhang P. Toward nitrogen recovery: Co-cultivation of microalgae and bacteria enhances the production of high-value nitrogen-rich cyanophycin. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 256:121624. [PMID: 38669903 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121624] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The algal-bacterial wastewater treatment process has been proven to be highly efficient in removing nutrients and recovering nitrogen (N). However, the recovery of the valuable N-rich biopolymer, cyanophycin, remains limited. This research explored the synthesis mechanism and recovery potential of cyanophycin within two algal-bacterial symbiotic reactors. The findings reveal that the synergy between algae and bacteria enhances the removal of N and phosphorus. The crude contents of cyanophycin in the algal-bacterial consortia reached 115 and 124 mg/g of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), respectively, showing an increase of 11.7 %-20.4 % (p < 0.001) compared with conventional activated sludge. Among the 170 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) analyzed, 50 were capable of synthesizing cyanophycin, indicating that cyanophycin producers are common in algal-bacterial systems. The compositions of cyanophycin producers in the two algal-bacterial reactors were affected by different lighting initiation time. The study identified two intracellular synthesis pathways for cyanophycin. Approximately 36 MAGs can synthesize cyanophycin de novo using ammonium and glucose, while the remaining 14 MAGs require exogenous arginine for production. Notably, several MAGs with high abundance are capable of assimilating both nitrate and ammonium into cyanophycin, demonstrating a robust N utilization capability. This research also marks the first identification of potential horizontal gene transfer of the cyanophycin synthase encoding gene (cphA) within the wastewater microbial community. This suggests that the spread of cphA could expand the population of cyanophycin producers. The study offers new insights into recycling the high-value N-rich biopolymer cyanophycin, contributing to the advancement of wastewater resource utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Liu
- Department of Environment, College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Naif Abdullah Al-Dhabi
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P. O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Huiling Jiang
- Department of Environment, College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Bingzhi Liu
- Faculty of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Taiping Qing
- Department of Environment, College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Bo Feng
- Department of Environment, College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China
| | - Tengfei Ma
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Wangwang Tang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Environment, College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China.
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8
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Cao DQ, Jin Y, Liu H, Lei SC, Song YX, Han JL, Hao XD, Ma MG, Zhang Z, Wu R. Concentration properties of biopolymers via dead-end forward osmosis. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 270:132338. [PMID: 38763237 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) in excess sludge of wastewater treatment plants are valuable biopolymers that can act as recovery materials. However, effectively concentrating EPSs consumes a significant amount of energy. This study employed novel energy-saving pressure-free dead-end forward osmosis (DEFO) technology to concentrate various biopolymers, including EPSs and model biopolymers [sodium alginate (SA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and a mixture of both (denoted as BSA-SA)]. The feasibility of the DEFO technology was proven and the largest concentration ratios for these biopolymers were 94.8 % for EPSs, 97.1 % for SA, 97.8 % for BSA, and 98.4 % for BSA-SA solutions. An evaluation model was proposed, incorporating the FO membrane's water permeability coefficient and the concentrated substances' osmotic resistance, to describe biopolymers' concentration properties. Irrespective of biopolymer type, the water permeability coefficient decreased with increasing osmotic pressure, remained constant with increasing feed solution (FS) concentration, increased with increasing crossing velocity in the draw side, and showed little dependence on draw salt type. In the EPS DEFO concentration process, osmotic resistance was minimally impacted by osmotic pressure, FS concentration, and crossing velocity, and monovalent metal salts were proposed as draw solutes. The interaction between reverse diffusion metal cations and EPSs affected the structure of the concentrated substances on the FO membrane, thus changing the osmotic resistance in the DEFO process. These findings offer insights into the efficient concentration of biopolymers using DEFO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Qi Cao
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China; Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Yan Jin
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Shi-Cheng Lei
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Yi-Xuan Song
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Jia-Lin Han
- Beijing Drainage Group Co. Ltd (BDG), Beijing 100061, China
| | - Xiao-Di Hao
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Ming-Guo Ma
- Research Center of Biomass Clean Utilization, MOE Engineering Research Center of Forestry Biomass Materials and Bioenergy, Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, College of Materials Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zhongguo Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Circular Economy, Institute of Resources and Environment, Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, Beijing 100095, China
| | - Rongling Wu
- Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, Beijing 101408, China
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9
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Nguyen Quoc B, Cavanaugh SK, Hunt KA, Bryson SJ, Winkler MKH. Impact of aerobic granular sludge sizes and dissolved oxygen concentration on greenhouse gas N 2O emission. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 255:121479. [PMID: 38520777 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are known to produce nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas which has a ∼300 times higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide. In this research, we studied N2O emissions from different sizes of AGS developed at a dissolved oxygen (DO) level of 2 mgO2/L while exposing them to disturbances at various DO concentrations ranging from 1 to 4 mgO2/L. Five different AGS size classes were studied: 212-600 µm, 600-1000 µm, 1000-1400 µm, 1400-2000 µm, and > 2000 µm. Metagenomic data showed N2O reductase genes (nosZ) were more abundant in the smaller AGS sizes which aligned with the observation of higher N2O reduction rates in small AGS under anaerobic conditions. However, when oxygen was present, the activity measurements of N2O emission showed an opposite trend compared to metagenomic data, smaller AGS (212 to 1000 µm) emitted significantly higher N2O (p < 0.05) than larger AGS (1000 µm to >2000 µm) at DO of 2, 3, and 4 mgO2/L. The N2O emission rate showed positive correlation with both oxygen levels and nitrification rate. This pattern indicates a connection between N2O emission and nitrification. In addition, the data suggested the penetration of oxygen into the anoxic zone of granules might have hindered nitrous oxide reduction, resulting in incomplete denitrification stopping at N2O and consequently contributing to an increase in N2O emissions. This work sets the stage to better understand the impacts of AGS size on N2O emissions in WWTPs under different disturbance of DO conditions, and thus ensure that wastewater treatment will comply with possible future regulations demanding lowering greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Nguyen Quoc
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States.
| | - Shannon K Cavanaugh
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States
| | - Kristopher A Hunt
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States
| | - Samuel J Bryson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States
| | - Mari K H Winkler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, United States
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10
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Pan Z, Wei H, Qiu C, Yang Q, Liang Y, Huang Z, Li J. Two-stage sequencing batch reactors with added iron shavings for nutrient removal and aerobic sludge granulation treating real wastewater with low carbon to nitrogen ratios. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 396:130380. [PMID: 38281551 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130380] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
In response to the challenges of limited nutrient removal and the difficulty in forming aerobic granular sludge (AGS) with low carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratios, a novel two-stage sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) (R1 and R2) system with added iron shavings was proposed and established. The results showed that AGS was developed and nitrogen (82.8 %) and phosphorus (94.7 %) were effectively removed under a C/N ratio at 1.7 ± 0.5. The average size of R1 and R2 increased from 45.3 μm to 138.7 μm and 132.8 μm. Under high biological selective pressure, phosphorus accumulating organisms like Comamonadaceae (14.8 %) and Chitinophagales (5.7 %) experienced enrichment in R1. Furthermore, R2 exhibited an increased abundance of nitrifying bacteria (2.3 %) and a higher proportion of nitrogen removal through autotrophic denitrification (>17.5 %). Overall, this study introduces an innovative two-stage SBRs with added iron shavings, offering a novel approach for the treatment of low C/N ratios wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengrui Pan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Hongtang Wei
- Zhejiang Shuanglin Environment Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Chong Qiu
- Zhejiang Shuanglin Environment Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Qianjin Yang
- Zhejiang Shuanglin Environment Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Yifan Liang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Zuchao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
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11
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Nguyen Quoc B, Peng B, De Clippeleir H, Winkler MKH. Case study: Bioaugmenting the comammox dominated biomass from B-stage to enhance nitrification in A-stage at Blue Plains AWWTP. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2024; 96:e11005. [PMID: 38407520 DOI: 10.1002/wer.11005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
A comprehensive case study was undertaken at the Blue Plains wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to explore the bioaugmentation technique of introducing nitrifying sludge into the non-nitrifying stage over the course of two operational years. This innovative approach involved the return of waste activated sludge (WAS) from the biological nutrient removal (BNR) system to enhance the nitrification in the high carbon removal rate system. The complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox) Nitrospira Nitrosa was identified as the main nitrifier in the system. Bioaugmentation was shown to be successful as nitrifiers returned from BNR were able to increase the nitrifying activity of the high carbon removal rate system. There was a positive correlation between returned sludge from the BNR stage and the specific total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) removal rate in A stage. The bioaugmentation process resulted in a remarkable threefold increase in the specific TKN removal rate within the A stage. Result suggested that recycling of WAS is a simple technique to bio-augment a low SRT system with nitrifiers and add ammonia oxidation to a previously non-nitrifying stage. The results from this case study hold the potential for applicable implications for other WWTPs that have a similar operational scheme to Blue Plains, allowing them to reuse WAS from the B stage, previously considered waste, to enhance nitrification and thus improving overall nitrogen removal performance. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Comammox identifying as main nitrifier in the B stage. Comammox enriched sludge from B stage successfully bio-augmented the East side of A stage up to threefold. Bioaugmentation of comammox in the West side of A stage was potentially inhibited by the gravity thickened overflow. Sludge returned from B stage to A stage can improve nitrification with a very minor retrofits and short startup times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Nguyen Quoc
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Bo Peng
- DC Water and Sewer Authority, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Mari-Karoliina H Winkler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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12
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Guo T, Pan K, Chen Y, Tian Y, Deng J, Li J. When aerobic granular sludge faces emerging contaminants: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167792. [PMID: 37838059 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167792] [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: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of emerging contaminants (ECs) has caused greater requirements and challenges to the current biological wastewater treatment technology. As one of the most promising biological treatment technologies, the aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process also faces the challenge of ECs. This study summarizes the recent progress and characteristics of several representative ECs (persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disrupting chemicals, antibiotics, and microplastics) in AGS systems that have garnered widespread attention. Additionally, the biodegradation and adsorption mechanisms of ECs were discussed, and the interactions between various ECs and AGS was elucidated. The importance of extracellular polymeric substances for the stabilization of AGS and the removal of ECs is also discussed. Knowledge gaps and future research directions that may enable the practical application of AGS are highlighted. Overall, AGS processes show great application potential and this review provides guidance for the future implementation of AGS technology as well as elucidating the mechanism of its interaction with ECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Guo
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kuan Pan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yunxin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yajun Tian
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Deng
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China.
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13
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Huang YP, Wang X, Wang RL, He JT, Huang Y, Hang ZY, Chen X, Li ZH. Managing stability of aerobic granules by coordinating diameter and denitrification. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167795. [PMID: 37838046 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167795] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) technology is a promising solution for wastewater treatment due to its structure and high biomass retention capacity. However, the stability of AGS is still a challenge for widespread use. This study investigated the relationships among granule stability, granule diameter, biomass retention capacity, and denitrification efficiency. The results showed that granule diameter did not necessarily indicate granule stability, nor was it associated with biomass retention capacity. For mature granules, promoting simultaneous nitrification and denitrification rather than anoxic denitrification was found to improve granule stability. The deterioration of clarification capacity caused by increased anoxic denitrification at high nitrate concentration was not indicated by diameters or the commonly used SVI5/SVI30. Therefore, ensuring coordination between diameter and denitrification control is crucial for the stability of AGS. These results provide a basis for further research and development of efficient and user-friendly methods for monitoring granular stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Peng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Ruo-Lan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Jin-Tao He
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Zhen-Yu Hang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Xi Chen
- School of Urban Planning and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710048, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Li
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
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14
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Yu C, Wang K, Zhang K, Liu R, Zheng P. Full-scale upgrade activated sludge to continuous-flow aerobic granular sludge: Implementing microaerobic-aerobic configuration with internal separators. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 248:120870. [PMID: 38007885 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120870] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has been successfully used in sequencing batch reactors. However, their application to existing continuous-flow systems remains challenging. In this study, a novel microaerobic-aerobic configuration with internal separators was implemented in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility with a nominal capacity of 2.5 × 104 m3 d-1. Sludge characteristics, pollutant removal and associated pathways, shifts in the microbial community, and underlying granulation mechanisms were investigated. Following a two-month operation period, the transition from flocculent-activated sludge to well-defined AGS with distinct boundaries and compact structures was successfully achieved. The average size of sludge increased from 31.9 to 138.5 μm, with granules larger than 200 μm constituting 28.9 % of the total sludge and SVI30 averaging 51.4 ± 8.2 mL g-1. The 95th percentile effluent COD, NH4+-N, and TN concentrations were 35.0, 1.2, and 13.3 mg L-1, respectively. The primary pathways for pollutant removal were identified as simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal within the microaerobic tanks. The enrichment of denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating organisms, including Hydrogenophaga, Accumulibacter, Azospira, Dechloromonas, and Pseudomonas, provides an essential microbial foundation. Furthermore, computational fluid dynamics modeling revealed that the incorporation of internal separators in aerobic tanks induced shifts in the flow pattern, transitioning from a single-circulation cell to multiple vortical cells. This alteration amplified the local velocity gradients, generating the required shear forces to drive granulation. Moreover, mass balance analysis revealed that the microaerobic and aerobic tanks operated under feast and famine conditions, respectively, creating a microbial selection pressure that favored granulation. This process eliminates the need for external clarifiers, resulting in a footprint reduction of 38.2 % and one-third energy savings for sludge reflux. This study offers valuable insights into the application of continuous-flow AGS to upgrade existing activated sludge systems with limited retrofitting requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Yu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Kaijun Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
| | - Kaiyuan Zhang
- Beijing Huayide Environmental Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Ruiyang Liu
- Beijing Huayide Environmental Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Pingping Zheng
- Beijing Huayide Environmental Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing 100084, PR China
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15
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Zhou Y, Celine Zhang Y, Hu X, Zhou Y, Bai Y, Xiang P, Zhang Z. Overlooked role in bacterial assembly of different-sized granules in same sequencing batch reactor: Insights into bacterial niche of nutrient removal. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 391:129992. [PMID: 37949147 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129992] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The unique ecosystem within different-sized granules affects microbial assembly, which is crucial for wastewater treatment performance. This study operated an aerobic granular sludge system to evaluate its performance in treating synthetic municipal wastewater. Subsequently, the microbial community within different-sized granules was characterized to investigate bacterial assembly, and elucidated their biological potential for nutrient removal. The nutrient removal efficiencies were as follows: 93.8 ± 2.8 % chemical oxygen demand, 65.4 ± 4.0 % total nitrogen, and 93.8 ± 6.8 % total phosphorus. The analysis of microbial assembly unveiled remarkable diversity among different-sized sludges, the genus relative abundance displayed 61.4 % positive and 33.0 % negative correlation with sludge size. The excellent potential for organic degradation, denitrification, and polyphosphate accumulation occurred in sludge sizes of > 0.75 mm, 0.20-0.50 mm, and < 0.20 mm, respectively. Functional annotation further confirmed the nutrient removal potential within different-sized sludges. This study provides valuable insights into the bacterial niche of different-sized sludges, which can enhance their practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | | | - Xueli Hu
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Yuanhang Zhou
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Yun Bai
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Ping Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China.
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16
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Xu D, Cao S, Berry M, Du R, Peng Y. Granulation of partial denitrification sludge: Advances in mechanism understanding, technologies development and perspectives. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166760. [PMID: 37659567 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166760] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
The high-rate and stably efficient nitrite generation is vital and still challenges the wide application of partial denitrification (PD) and anammox technology. Increasing attention has been drawn to the granulation of PD biomass. However, the knowledge of PD granular sludge is still limited in terms of granules characterization and mechanisms of biomass aggregation for high nitrite accumulation. This work reviewed the performance and granulation of PD biomass for high nitrite accumulation via nitrate reduction, including the system start-up, influential factors, granular characteristics, hypothetical mechanism, challenges and perspectives in future application. The physiochemical characterization and key influential factors were summarized in view of nitrite production, morphology analysis, extracellular polymer substance structure, as well as microbial mechanisms. The PD granules exhibit potential advantages of a high biomass density, good settleability, high hydraulic loading rates, and strong shock resistance. A novel granular sludge-based PD combined with anammox process was proposed to enhance the capability of nitrogen removal. In the future, PD granules utilizing different electron donors is a promising way to broaden the application of anammox technology in both municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duanyuan Xu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Shenbin Cao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China; College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China
| | - Maxence Berry
- Department of Process Engineering and Bioprocesses, Polytech Nantes, Campus of Gavy, Saint-Nazaire 44603, France
| | - Rui Du
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China; Chair of Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Yongzhen Peng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
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17
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Wang JY, Zhao B, An Q, Dan Q, Guo JS, Chen YP. The acceleration of aerobic sludge granulation by alternating organic loading rate: Performance and mechanism. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 347:119047. [PMID: 37778070 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119047] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
As a highly promising treatment technology for wastewater, long start-up time is one of the bottlenecks hindering the widespread application of aerobic granular sludge (AGS). This study focused on exploring the possibility of alternating organic loading rate (OLR) in promoting AGS granulation. Under alternating OLR (3.6-14.4 kgCOD/m3·d), AGS granulation was significantly accelerated. The mean granule size under alternating load reached 234.6 μm at 17 d, while under constant OLR (7.2 kgCOD/m3·d), the mean granule size was only 179.2 μm. Moreover, the granule size maintained continuous growth even when the alternating OLR was changed to constant OLR. Alternating load significantly increased the content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), especially proteins (PN) in tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), which was likely the main reason for accelerating AGS granulation. Moreover, alternating load reduced the hydrophilicity of EPS and promoted the content of proteins secondary structures that favored aggregation in TB-EPS, which were also beneficial for granulation. Microbial community results showed that alternating load might promote the enrichment of EPS producing bacteria, such as Thauera, Brevundimonas and Shinella. Meanwhile, the content of enzymes that regulated amino acids metabolism also increased under alternating load, which might be related to the increase of PN in EPS. These results further demonstrated that alternating load promoted granulation through EPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yi Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China.
| | - Qiang An
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China
| | - Qiao Dan
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China
| | - Jin Song Guo
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China
| | - You Peng Chen
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, PR China
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18
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Sharma VK, Ma X, Zboril R. Single atom catalyst-mediated generation of reactive species in water treatment. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:7673-7686. [PMID: 37855667 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00627a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Water is one of the most essential components in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. With worsening global water scarcity, especially in some developing countries, water reuse is gaining increasing acceptance. A key challenge in water treatment by conventional treatment processes is the difficulty of treating low concentrations of pollutants (micromolar to nanomolar) in the presence of much higher levels of inorganic ions and natural organic matter (NOM) in water (or real water matrices). Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as an attractive treatment technology that generates reactive species with high redox potentials (E0) (e.g., hydroxyl radical (HO˙), singlet oxygen (1O2), sulfate radical (SO4˙-), and high-valent metals like iron(IV) (Fe(IV)), copper(III) (Cu(III)), and cobalt(IV) (Co(IV))). The use of single atom catalysts (SACs) in AOPs and water treatment technologies has appeared only recently. This review introduces the application of SACs in the activation of hydrogen peroxide and persulfate to produce reactive species in treatment processes. A significant part of the review is devoted to the mechanistic aspects of traditional AOPs and their comparison with those triggered by SACs. The radical species, SO4˙- and HO˙, which are produced in both traditional and SACs-activated AOPs, have higher redox potentials than non-radical species, 1O2 and high-valent metal species. However, SO4˙- and HO˙ radicals are non-selective and easily affected by components of water while non-radicals resist the impact of such constituents in water. Significantly, SACs with varying coordination environments and structures can be tuned to exclusively generate non-radical species to treat water with a complex matrix. Almost no influence of chloride, carbonate, phosphate, and NOM was observed on the performance of SACs in treating pollutants in water when nonradical species dominate. Therefore, the appropriately designed SACs represent game-changers in purifying water vs. AOPs with high efficiency and minimal interference from constituents of polluted water to meet the goals of water sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virender K Sharma
- Program for the Environment and Sustainability, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
| | - Xingmao Ma
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA
| | - Radek Zboril
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 241/27, Olomouc, 783 71, Czech Republic.
- Nanotechnology Centre, for Energy and Environmental Technologies, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 2172/15, Ostrava-Poruba, 708 00, Czech Republic
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19
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Wang G, Huang X, Wang S, Yang F, Sun S, Yan P, Chen Y, Fang F, Guo J. Effect of food-to-microorganisms ratio on aerobic granular sludge settleability: Microbial community, potential roles and sequential responses of extracellular proteins and polysaccharides. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118814. [PMID: 37591089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118814] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
The food-to-microorganism ratio (F/M) is an important parameter in wastewater biotreatment that significantly affects the granulation and settleability of aerobic granular sludge (AGS). Hence, understanding the long-term effects and internal mechanisms of F/M on AGS settling performance is essential. This study investigated the relationship between F/M and the sludge volume index (SVI) within a range of 0.23-2.50 kgCOD/(kgMLVSS·d). Thiothrix and Candidatus_Competibacter were identified as two dominant bacterial genera influencing AGS settling performance. With F/M increased from 0.27 kgCOD/(kgMLVSS·d) to 1.53 kgCOD/(kgMLVSS·d), the abundance of Thiothrix significantly increased from 0.20% to 27.02%, and the hydrophobicity of extracellular proteins (PN) decreased, which collectively reduced AGS settling performance. However, under high-F/M conditions, the gel-like polysaccharides (PS) effectively retained the granular biomass by binding to the highly abundant Thiothrix (53.65%). The progressive increment in biomass led to a concomitant reduction in F/M, resulting in the recovery of AGS settleability. In addition, two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed the preferential responses of PN and PS to the increase and decrease of F/M, and the content and characteristics of PN and PS played important roles in granular settling. The study provides insight into the microbial composition and the potential role of extracellular polymer substances in the AGS sedimentation behavior, offering valuable theoretical support for stable AGS operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonglei Wang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Huang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- College of Environment Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Fan Yang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Shiting Sun
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Peng Yan
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Youpeng Chen
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Fang Fang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China.
| | - Jinsong Guo
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
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20
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He Q, Yan X, Wang H, Ji Y, Li J, Liu L, Bi P, Xu P, Xu B, Ma J. Towards a better understanding of the anaerobic/oxic/anoxic-aerobic granular sludge process (AOA-AGS) for simultaneous low-strength wastewater treatment and in situ sludge reduction from ambient to winter temperatures. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 236:116822. [PMID: 37541415 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
The new anaerobic/oxic/anoxic-aerobic granular sludge (AOA-AGS) merits the advantages of effective carbon utilization and low-carbon treatment. However, low temperature poses stressing concerns and the resisting mechanism remains much unknown. Herein, an AOA-AGS process was configured for simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal (SNDPR) with low-strength wastewater from ambient (>15 °C) to winter temperatures (<15 °C). Results showed that simultaneously advanced nutrients removal, and dramatic in situ sludge reduction (Yobs of 0.093 g MLSS/g COD) were gained regardless of seasonally decreasing temperatures. Winter temperatures even amplified Candidatus Competibacter predominating from 20.11% to 34.74%, which laid the core basis for endogenous denitrification, sludge minimization and temperature resistance. A removal model was thus proposed given the observed functional groups, and doubts were also raised for future investigations. This study would aid a better understanding on the microbial ecology and engineering aspects of the new AOA-AGS process treating low-strength wastewater at low temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiulai He
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Education, Department of Water Engineering and Science, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Xiaohui Yan
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Education, Department of Water Engineering and Science, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Hongyu Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430082, China
| | - Yaning Ji
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Education, Department of Water Engineering and Science, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Jinfeng Li
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Education, Department of Water Engineering and Science, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Education, Department of Water Engineering and Science, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Peng Bi
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Education, Department of Water Engineering and Science, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Education, Department of Water Engineering and Science, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Baokun Xu
- Agricultural Water Conservancy Department, Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan, 430010, China
| | - Jingwei Ma
- Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Education, Department of Water Engineering and Science, College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China.
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21
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Qian G, Shao J, Hu P, Tang W, Xiao Y, Hao T. From micro to macro: The role of seawater in maintaining structural integrity and bioactivity of granules in treating antibiotic-laden mariculture wastewater. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 246:120702. [PMID: 37837903 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120702] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Granular sludge (GS) has superior antibiotic removal ability to flocs, due to GS's layered structure and rich extracellular polymeric substances. However, prolonged exposure to antibiotics degrades the performance and stability of GS. This study investigated how a seawater matrix might help maintain the structural integrity and bioactivity of granules. The results demonstrated that GS had better sulfadiazine (SDZ) removal efficiency in a seawater matrix (85.6 %) than in a freshwater matrix (57.6 %); the multiple ions in seawater enhanced boundary layer diffusion (kiR1 = 0.0805 mg·g-1·min-1/2 and kiR2 = 0.1112 mg·g-1·min-1/2) and improved adsorption performance by 15 % (0.123 mg/g-SS freshwater vs. 0.141 mg/g-SS seawater). Moreover, multiple hydrogen bonds (1-3) formed between each SDZ and lipid bilayer fortified the adsorption. Beyond S-N and S-C bond hydrolyses that took place in freshwater systems, there was an additional biodegradation pathway for GS to be cultivated in a saltwater system that involved sulfur dioxide extrusion. This additional pathway was attributable to the greater microbial diversity and larger presence of sulfadiazine-degrading bacteria containing SadAC genes, such as Leucobacter and Arthrobacter, in saltwater wastewater. The findings of this study elucidate how seawater influences GS properties and antibiotic removal ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangsheng Qian
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China; Centre for Regional Oceans, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jingyi Shao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Peng Hu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Wentao Tang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yihang Xiao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Tianwei Hao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China; Centre for Regional Oceans, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China.
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22
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Yang B, Liang W, Bin L, Chen W, Chen X, Li P, Wen S, Huang S, Tang B. Insights into the life-cycle of aerobic granular sludge in a continuous flow membrane bioreactor by tracing its heterogeneous properties at different stages. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 243:120419. [PMID: 37536250 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120419] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
This work gave insights into the life-cycle of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) by tracing its heterogeneity in the basic properties at different stages in a closed system (a continuous flow membrane bioreactor, MBR), including physical and chemical characteristics and microbial communities. The results indicate that the entire life-cycle consists of the following four stages, namely, the initial, growing, mature and cleaved stages, where multiple AGS properties synergistically affect the rheological properties of the AGS over its life-cycle. The storage modulus (G') of AGS reached its maximum value at the mature stage, whose value was significantly and positively correlated with the protein (PN) in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and granule size, specifically the peak area of granule size distribution, but this value was strongly and negatively correlated with the roughness. The AGS at the mature stage would be more vulnerable to be destroyed than that at other stages under the condition of higher shear strain, such as γ = 50%, which was associated with larger granule size and fewer polysaccharide (PS)-related functional groups (especially in the soluble microbial products (SMPs) in the outermost layer of AGS), and the decrease in PS was correlated with a higher relative abundance of Chloroflexi. Additionally, the value of shear strain that AGS was subjected to had a good linear correlation (R2=0.993) with the Young's modulus, which indicated the ability of AGS to resist deformation improved with increasing values of shear strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Yang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Weifeng Liang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Liying Bin
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Weirui Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Xinyi Chen
- Guangdong Guangshen Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Ping Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Shanglong Wen
- Guangdong Guangshen Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Shaosong Huang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Bing Tang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China.
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23
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Meng W, Qiao K, Liu F, Gao X, Hu X, Liu J, Gao Y, Zhu J. Construction and application of a new CRISPR/Cas12a system in Stenotrophomonas AGS-1 from aerobic granular sludge. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2200596. [PMID: 37288647 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202200596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a microbial aggregate with a biofilm structure. Thus, investigating AGS in the aspect of biofilm and microbial attachment at the genetic level would help to reveal the mechanism of granule biofilm formation. In this work, a two-plasmid clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas)12a genome editing system was constructed to identify attachment genes for the first time in Stenotrophomonas AGS-1 from AGS. One plasmid contained a Cas12a cassette driven by an arabinose-inducible promoter, and another contained the specific crRNA and homologous arms (HAs). Acidaminococcus sp. Cas12a (AsCas12a) was adopted and proven to have mild toxicity (compared to Cas9) and strong cleavage activity for AGS-1. CRISPR/Cas12a-mediated rmlA knockout decreased attachment ability by 38.26%. Overexpression of rmlA in AGS-1 resulted in an increase of 30.33% in attachment ability. These results showed that the modulation of rmlA was an important factor for the biofilm formation of AGS-1. Moreover, two other genes (xanB and rpfF) were knocked out by CRISPR/Cas12a and identified as attachment-related genes in AGS-1. Also, this system could achieve point mutations. These data indicated that the CRISPR/Cas12a system could be an effective molecular platform for attachment gene function identification, which would be useful for the development of AGS in wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Meng
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- R & D Centre of Aerobic Granule Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Qiao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Water Simulation, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Liu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Gao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Hu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Water Simulation, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiyun Gao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianrong Zhu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- R & D Centre of Aerobic Granule Technology, Beijing, China
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24
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Ekholm J, de Blois M, Persson F, Gustavsson DJI, Bengtsson S, van Erp T, Wilén BM. Case study of aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge-Energy usage, footprint, and nutrient removal. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2023; 95:e10914. [PMID: 37494966 DOI: 10.1002/wer.10914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
This study demonstrates a comparison of energy usage, land footprint, and volumetric requirements of municipal wastewater treatment with aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and conventional activated sludge (CAS) at a full-scale wastewater treatment plant characterized by large fluctuations in nutrient loadings and temperature. The concentration of organic matter in the influent to the AGS was increased by means of hydrolysis and bypassing the pre-settler. Both treatment lines produced effluent concentrations below 5 mg BOD7 L-1 , 10 mg TN L-1 , and 1 mg TP L-1 , by enhanced biological nitrogen- and phosphorus removal. In this case study, the averages of volumetric energy usage over 1 year were 0.22 ± 0.08 and 0.26 ± 0.07 kWh m-3 for the AGS and CAS, respectively. A larger difference was observed for the energy usage per reduced population equivalents (P.E.), which was on average 0.19 ± 0.08 kWh P.E.-1 for the AGS and 0.30 ± 0.08 kWh P.E.-1 for the CAS. However, both processes had the potential for decreased energy usage. Over 1 year, both processes showed similar fluctuations in energy usage, related to variations in loading, temperature, and DO. The AGS had a lower specific area, 0.3 m2 m-3 d-1 , compared to 0.6 m2 m-3 d-1 of the CAS, and also a lower specific volume, 1.3 m3 m-3 d-1 compared to 2.0 m3 m-3 d-1 . This study confirms that AGS at full-scale can be compact and still have comparable energy usage as CAS. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Full-scale case study comparison of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and conventional activated sludge (CAS), operated in parallel. AGS had 50 % lower footprint compared to CAS. Energy usage was lower in the AGS, but both processes had potential to improve the energy usage efficiency. Both processes showed low average effluent concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Ekholm
- Division of Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Frank Persson
- Division of Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Britt-Marie Wilén
- Division of Water Environment Technology, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
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25
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Kim Y, Flinkstrom Z, Candry P, Winkler MKH, Myung J. Resource availability governs polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation and diversity of methanotrophic enrichments from wetlands. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1210392. [PMID: 37588137 PMCID: PMC10425282 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1210392] [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: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquatic environments account for half of global CH4 emissions, with freshwater wetlands being the most significant contributors. These CH4 fluxes can be partially offset by aerobic CH4 oxidation driven by methanotrophs. Additionally, some methanotrophs can convert CH4 into polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), an energy storage molecule as well as a promising bioplastic polymer. In this study, we investigate how PHA-accumulating methanotrophic communities enriched from wetlands were shaped by varying resource availability (i.e., C and N concentrations) at a fixed C/N ratio. Cell yields, PHA accumulation, and community composition were evaluated in high (20% CH4 and 10 mM NH4 +) and low resource (0.2% CH4 and 0.1 mM NH4 +) conditions simulating engineered and environmental settings, respectively. High resource availability decreased C-based cell yields, while N-based cell yields remained stable, suggesting nutrient exchange patterns differed between methanotrophic communities at different resource concentrations. PHA accumulation was only observed in high resource enrichments, producing approximately 12.6% ± 2.4% (m/m) PHA, while PHA in low resource enrichments remained below detection. High resource enrichments were dominated by Methylocystis methanotrophs, while low resource enrichments remained significantly more diverse and contained only a minor population of methanotrophs. This study demonstrates that resource concentration shapes PHA-accumulating methanotrophic communities. Together, this provides useful information to leverage such communities in engineering settings as well as to begin understanding their role in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujin Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Zachary Flinkstrom
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Pieter Candry
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Mari-Karoliina H. Winkler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jaewook Myung
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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26
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Cheng L, Wei M, Hu Q, Li B, Li B, Wang W, Abudi ZN, Hu Z. Aerobic granular sludge formation and stability in enhanced biological phosphorus removal system under antibiotics pressure: Performance, granulation mechanism, and microbial successions. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 454:131472. [PMID: 37099906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater containing antibiotics can pose a significant threat to biological wastewater treatment processes. This study investigated the establishment and stable operation of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) by aerobic granular sludge (AGS) under mixed stress conditions induced by tetracycline (TC), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), ofloxacin (OFL), and roxithromycin (ROX). The results show that the AGS system was efficient in removing TP (98.0%), COD (96.1%), and NH4+-N (99.6%). The average removal efficiencies of the four antibiotics were 79.17% (TC), 70.86% (SMX), 25.73% (OFL), and 88.93% (ROX), respectively. The microorganisms in the AGS system secreted more polysaccharides, which contributed to the reactor's tolerance to antibiotics and facilitated granulation by enhancing the production of protein, particularly loosely bound protein. Illumina MiSeq sequencing revealed that putative phosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs)-related genera (Pseudomonas and Flavobacterium) were enormously beneficial to the mature AGS for TP removal. Based on the analysis of extracellular polymeric substances, extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory, and microbial community, a three-stage granulation mechanism was proposed including adaption to the stress environment, formation of early aggregates and maturation of PAOs enriched microbial granules. Overall, the study demonstrated the stability of EBPR-AGS under mixed antibiotics pressure, providing insight into the granulation mechanism and the potential use of AGS for wastewater treatment containing antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Cheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Mingyu Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qixing Hu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Bingtang Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Bo Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Wenjia Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zaidun Naji Abudi
- Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad 999048, Iraq
| | - Zhiquan Hu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
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27
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Wang S, Wang G, Yan P, Chen Y, Fang F, Guo J. Non-filamentous sludge bulking induced by exopolysaccharide variation in structure and properties during aerobic granulation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 876:162786. [PMID: 36907402 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162786] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The forming mechanism of non-filamentous sludge bulking during aerobic granulation were investigated basing on three feeding strategies (R1 direct aeration after fast feeding, R2 anaerobic stirring after fast feeding and R3 anaerobic plug-flow slow feeding). Results showed that strong selection stress (shortening settling time) led to a sharp flocs washout and the subsequent increase of food to microorganisms (F/M) in R1 and R3 reactors, but not found in R2 due to the different strategies of feeding modes. With the increase of F/M, zeta potential and hydrophobicity of sludge surfaces significantly decreased and thus leading to an enhanced repulsive force and energy barriers for sludge aggregation. Particularly, when F/M exceeded 1.2 kgCOD/(kgMLSS·d), non-filamentous sludge bulking was ultimately triggered in R1 and R3. Further analysis showed that massive extracellular exopolysaccharide (PS) accumulated on the surfaces of non-filamentous bulking sludge due to the increased abundance of the microorganisms related to PS secretion during sludge bulking. In addition, significantly increased intracellular second messenger (c-di-GMP), a key substance regulating PS biosynthesis, was confirmed via its concentration determination as well as microbial function prediction analysis, which played a critical role in sludge bulking. Combing with the systematic detection from surface plasmon resonance system, rheometer and size-exclusion chromatography-multiangle laser light detection-refractive index system, higher molecular weight, compact conformation, higher viscosity and higher hydrophilicity was determined in sludge bulking PS relative to PS extracted from non-filamentous bulking sludge. Clearly, the changes of PS (content, structures and properties) driven by c-di-GMP are the dominant mechanism for the formation of non-filamentous sludge bulking during aerobic granulation. This work could provide theoretical support for successful start-up and application of aerobic granular sludge technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Gonglei Wang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Peng Yan
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Youpeng Chen
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Fang Fang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China.
| | - Jinsong Guo
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
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28
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Tang Q, Zeng M, Zou W, Jiang W, Kahaer A, Liu S, Hong C, Ye Y, Jiang W, Kang J, Ren Y, Liu D. A new strategy to simultaneous removal and recovery of nitrogen from wastewater without N 2O emission by heterotrophic nitrogen-assimilating bacterium. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162211. [PMID: 36791849 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162211] [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: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biological assimilation that recovery the nitrogen from wastewater in the form of biomass offers a more environmentally friendly solution for the limitations of the conventional wastewater treatments. This study reported the simultaneous removal and recovery of nitrogen from wastewater without N2O emission by a heterotrophic nitrogen-assimilating Acinetobacter sp. DN1 strain. Nitrogen balance, biomass qualitative analysis, genome and enzyme studies have been performed to illustrate the mechanism of nitrogen conversion by strain DN1. Results showed that the ammonium removal followed one direct pathway (GOGAT/GDH) and three indirect pathways (NH4+ → NH2OH → NO → NO2- → NH4+ → GOGAT/GDH; NH4+ → NH2OH → NO → NO2- → NO3- → NO2- → NH4+ → GOGAT/GDH; NH4+ → NH2OH → NO → NO3- → NO2- → NH4+ → GOGAT/GDH). Nitrogen balance and biomass qualitative analysis showed that over 70 % of the ammonium in the wastewater was converted into intracellular nitrogen-containing compounds and stored in the cells of strain DN1. Traditional denitrification pathway was not detected and the ammonium was removed through assimilation, which makes it more energy-saving for nitrogen recovery when compared with Haber-Bosch process. This study provides a new direction for simultaneous nitrogen removal and recovery without N2O emission by the heterotrophic nitrogen-assimilating bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Tang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Mengjie Zeng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Wuhan Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd, No. 52 Optics Valley Avenue, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Wugui Zou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Wenyu Jiang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Alimu Kahaer
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Shixi Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Chol Hong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Heat Engineering Faculty, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Pyongyang 999093, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Yuanyao Ye
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Wei Jiang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Jianxiong Kang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Yongzheng Ren
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Dongqi Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
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29
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Haaksman VA, Schouteren M, van Loosdrecht MCM, Pronk M. Impact of the anaerobic feeding mode on substrate distribution in aerobic granular sludge. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 233:119803. [PMID: 36870106 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing interest to implement aerobic granular sludge (AGS) in existing conventional activated sludge (CAS) systems with a continuous flow-through configuration. The mode of anaerobic contact of raw sewage with the sludge is an important aspect in the adaptation of CAS systems to accommodate AGS. It remains unclear how the distribution of substrate over the sludge by a conventional anaerobic selector compares to the distribution via bottom-feeding applied in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). This study investigated the effect of the anaerobic contact mode on the substrate (and storage) distribution by operating two lab-scale SBRs; one with the traditional bottom-feeding through a settled sludge bed similar to full-scale AGS systems, and one where the synthetic wastewater was fed as a pulse at the start of the anaerobic phase while the reactor was mixed through sparging of nitrogen gas (mimicking a plug-flow anaerobic selector in continuous flow-through systems). The distribution of the substrate over the sludge particle population was quantified via PHA analysis, combined with the obtained granule size distribution. Bottom-feeding was found to primarily direct substrate towards the large granular size classes (i.e. large volume and close to the bottom), while completely mixed pulse-feeding gives a more equal distribution of substrate over all granule sizes (i.e. surface area dependant). The anaerobic contact mode directly controls the substrate distribution over the different granule sizes, irrespective of the solids retention time of a granule as an entity. Preferential feeding of the larger granules will enhance and stabilise the granulation compared to pulse-feeding, certainly under less advantageous conditions imposed by real sewage.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A Haaksman
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands.
| | - M Schouteren
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - M C M van Loosdrecht
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - M Pronk
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands; Royal HaskoningDHV, Laan 1914 35, Amersfoort, 3800 AL, The Netherlands
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30
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Xu Y, Zhang H, Bin L, Li P, Fu F, Huang S, Tang B. Inductive effect of functional microbial consortia in promoting the rapid granulation of aerobic granular sludge in an internal circulation-membrane bioreactor. Biochem Eng J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2023.108930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
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Shi C, Zeng RG, Hao LT, Hao XD, Li J. Extracting compositional blocks of alginate-like extracellular polymers (ALE) from conventional activated sludge (CAS). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 867:161371. [PMID: 36610622 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161371] [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: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
As a highly added value material, alginate-like extracellular polymers (ALE) can be extracted from extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from aerobic granular sludge (AGS). In fact, conventional activated sludge (CAS) also contains a certain amount of ALE. As CAS is widely used everywhere, waste activated sludge (WAS) from CAS is huge in its absolute amount. Although the ALE property of CAS was identified not so good as that from AGS, the mechanisms remains unclear. For this reason, it is necessary to unravel the chemically compositional blocks of ALE. Referring to natural alginate, ALE can be separated into three compositional blocks: GGL, GML and MML (like units containing guluronate or mannuronate), associated with other compositions including protein (PN), polysaccharide (PS), phosphorus (P), humic acid (HA). With real WAS from CAS, ALE was extracted and three blocks were separated: GGL = 54 %, GML = 42 % and MML = 4 % in weight, which is similar to the previous study. Moreover, the GGL blocks in CAS were obviously lower than AGS, down to by 1/3-1/2. And the GML and MML blocks in CAS were much higher than AGS, by more than 1/2. Different compositional blocks of ALE in AGS and CAS should be the reason forming different properties in applications. For this reason, a further study will be initiated to dispense/reorganize three blocks of ALE from CAS for expanding its potential applications, based on the compositional blocks of ALE from AGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Shi
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Urban Design, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, PR China
| | - Run-Gen Zeng
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Urban Design, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, PR China
| | - Li-Ting Hao
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Urban Design, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, PR China
| | - Xiao-Di Hao
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Urban Design, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, PR China.
| | - Ji Li
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Urban Design, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, PR China
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32
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Chu N, Jiang Y, Liang Q, Liu P, Wang D, Chen X, Li D, Liang P, Zeng RJ, Zhang Y. Electricity-Driven Microbial Metabolism of Carbon and Nitrogen: A Waste-to-Resource Solution. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:4379-4395. [PMID: 36877891 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07588] [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] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Electricity-driven microbial metabolism relies on the extracellular electron transfer (EET) process between microbes and electrodes and provides promise for resource recovery from wastewater and industrial discharges. Over the past decades, tremendous efforts have been dedicated to designing electrocatalysts and microbes, as well as hybrid systems to push this approach toward industrial adoption. This paper summarizes these advances in order to facilitate a better understanding of electricity-driven microbial metabolism as a sustainable waste-to-resource solution. Quantitative comparisons of microbial electrosynthesis and abiotic electrosynthesis are made, and the strategy of electrocatalyst-assisted microbial electrosynthesis is critically discussed. Nitrogen recovery processes including microbial electrochemical N2 fixation, electrocatalytic N2 reduction, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), and abiotic electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia (Abio-NRA) are systematically reviewed. Furthermore, the synchronous metabolism of carbon and nitrogen using hybrid inorganic-biological systems is discussed, including advanced physicochemical, microbial, and electrochemical characterizations involved in this field. Finally, perspectives for future trends are presented. The paper provides valuable insights on the potential contribution of electricity-driven microbial valorization of waste carbon and nitrogen toward a green and sustainable society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Chu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Qinjun Liang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Panpan Liu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Donglin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Xueming Chen
- Fujian Provincial Engineering Research Center of Rural Waste Recycling Technology, College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
| | - Daping Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Peng Liang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Raymond Jianxiong Zeng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
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Zhao Y, Gao J, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Cui Y, Guo Y, Wu Z. Metatranscriptome Revealed the Efficacy and Safety of a Prospective Approach for Agricultural Wastewater Reuse: Achieving Ammonia Retention during Biological Treatment by a Novel Natural Inhibitor Epsilon-Poly-l-Lysine. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:2538-2547. [PMID: 36720085 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06977] [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] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Appropriate inhibitors might play important roles in achieving ammonia retention in biological wastewater treatment and its reuse in agriculture. In this study, the feasibility of epsilon-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) as a novel natural ammonia oxidation inhibitor was investigated. Significant inhibition (ammonia oxidation inhibition rate was up to 96.83%) was achieved by treating the sludge with ε-PL (400 mg/L, 12 h soaking) only once and maintaining for six cycles. Meanwhile, the organic matter and nitrite removal was not affected. This method was effective under the common environmental conditions of biological wastewater treatment. Metatranscriptome uncovered the possible action mechanisms of ε-PL. The ammonia oxidation inhibition was due to the co-decrease of Nitrosomonas abundance, ammonia oxidation genes, and the cellular responses of Nitrosomonas. Thauera and Dechloromonas could adapt to ε-PL by stimulating stress responses, which maintained the organic matter and nitrite removal. Importantly, ε-PL did not cause the enhancement of antibiotic resistance genes and virulent factors. Therefore, ε-PL showed a great potential of ammonia retention, which could be applied in the biological treatment of wastewater for agricultural reuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jingfeng Gao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Zhiqi Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Yingchao Cui
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Yi Guo
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Zejie Wu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
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Zhang B, He Y, Shi W, Liu L, Li L, Liu C, Lens PNL. Biotransformation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) by aerobic granular sludge: Removal performance, degradation mechanism and microbial response. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159771. [PMID: 36309264 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159771] [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: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a promising biotechnology for the treatment of antibiotic-rich wastewater. However, little is known about the antibiotics degradation mechanism and microbial response in a sulfamethoxazole (SMX)-loaded AGS system. Herein, the results of a continuous 240 days test suggested that 0.5-5 mg/L of SMX could be thoroughly removed by AGS via adsorption and degradation. The degradation pathway of SMX involved the hydrolysis of the sulfonamide bond and cleavage of NS or CS bonds, subsequently leading to the production of small molecular substances (e.g. benzene and 5-methyl-isoxazole). In terms of the AGS system, it exhibited a strong resistance to 0.5 mg/L of SMX, while 1 and 5 mg/L of SMX significantly inhibited the microbial growth, declined the nitrification efficiency, weakened the sludge settleability, and triggered the excessive growth of filamentous bacteria. Besides, the secretion of extracellular polymer substances was suppressed by 57.3% when increasing the SMX concentration from 0.5 to 5 mg/L, which was not conducive to the system stability. The long-term presence of SMX enhanced the proliferation of antibiotics resistance genes (sul1and sul2) and exerted a strong selection pressure on the microbial community, especially with Thiothrix being the dominating genus. Overall, this study elucidated that AGS qualified promising application prospects in the removal of SMX present in wastewater, but SMX at high concentrations posed great adverse impacts on the performance of the AGS system, which causes concern when treating SMX rich wastewaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zhang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
| | - Yuankai He
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Wenxin Shi
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Lanjin Liu
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Lin Li
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Chong Liu
- 101 Research Institute of Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Piet N L Lens
- UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, 2601, DA, Delft, the Netherlands
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35
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Meng W, Qiao K, Liu F, Hu X, Liu J, Gao Y, Zhu J. Construction and application of a mCherry fluorescent labeling system for Stenotrophomonas AGS-1 from aerobic granular sludge. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2023; 370:fnad079. [PMID: 37567763 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
To elucidate the specific mechanism by which high-attachment bacteria promote aerobic granular sludge (AGS) formation, a red fluorescent protein mCherry-based biomarker system was developed in the high-attachment strain Stenotrophomonas AGS-1 from AGS. The fluorescent labeling system used plasmid-mediated mCherry expression driven by a Ptac constitutive promoter. mCherry-labeled AGS-1 had normal unimpaired growth, strong fluorescent signals, and good fluorescence imaging. Also, the mCherry labeling system had no effect on the attachment ability of AGS-1. In addition, mCherry-labeled AGS-1 maintained high plasmid stability, even after more than 100 generations. Notably, after the addition of mCherry-labeled AGS-1 into the activated sludge system, the mCherry fluorescence of the sludge system can be used as a good reflection of the relative amount of AGS-1. Moreover, the spatial distribution of mCherry-labeled AGS-1 in the sludge system could be visualized and remained clear even after 5 days by fluorescence imaging. These results revealed that the mCherry-based biomarker system would provide a valuable tool for labeling AGS-1 to monitor the spatial distribution and fate of AGS-1 in AGS, which would help to better understand the mechanism of AGS formation and facilitate the development of AGS technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Meng
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- R & D Centre of Aerobic Granule Technology, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Kai Qiao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- State Key Laboratory of Water Simulation, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Fan Liu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xuan Hu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- State Key Laboratory of Water Simulation, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yiyun Gao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jianrong Zhu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- R & D Centre of Aerobic Granule Technology, Beijing 100875, China
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36
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Cao DQ, Liu XD, Han JL, Zhang WY, Hao XD, Iritani E, Katagiri N. Recovery of Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Excess Sludge Using High-Flux Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:74. [PMID: 36676881 PMCID: PMC9862183 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The recycling of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) from excess sludge in wastewater treatment plants has received increasing attention in recent years. Although membrane separation has great potential for use in EPS concentration and recovery, conventional membranes tend to exhibit low water flux and high energy consumption. Herein, electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENMs) were fabricated using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and used for the recovery of EPSs extracted from the excess sludge using the cation exchange resin (CER) method. The fabricated ENM containing 14 wt.% PVDF showed excellent properties, with a high average water flux (376.8 L/(m2·h)) and an excellent EPS recovery rate (94.1%) in the dead-end filtration of a 1.0 g/L EPS solution at 20 kPa. The ENMs displayed excellent mechanical strength, antifouling properties, and high reusability after five recycles. The filtration pressure had a negligible effect on the average EPS recovery rate and water flux. The novel dead-end filtration with an EPS filter cake on the ENM surface was effective in removing heavy-metal ions, with the removal rates of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cr6+ being 89.5%, 73.5%, and 74.6%, respectively. These results indicate the potential of nanofiber membranes for use in effective concentration and recycling of EPSs via membrane separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Qi Cao
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Liu
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Jia-Lin Han
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Wen-Yu Zhang
- Institute of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Beijing Municipal Research Institute of Environmental Protection, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Xiao-Di Hao
- Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Eiji Iritani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Katagiri
- Department of Environmental Technology, Meijo University, 1-501 Shiogamaguchi, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya 468-8502, Japan
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37
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Ouyang L, Qiu B. Positive effects of magnetic Fe 3O 4@polyaniline on aerobic granular sludge: Aerobic granulation, granule stability and pollutants removal performance. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 368:128296. [PMID: 36370942 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128296] [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: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The magnetic material has been determined to have a positive effect on sludge granulation and wastewater treatment performance. In this study, the effect of magnetic Fe3O4@polyaniline (Fe3O4@PANI) on aerobic granulation, granule stability, and pollutants removal performance was evaluated by adding it into a sequencing batch reactor to cultivate aerobic granular sludge (AGS). The results indicated that the composite combined the advantages of PANI and Fe3O4 to promote the formation of AGS during the granulation period. The Fe3O4@PANI stimulated the granules to secrete extracellular polymeric substances with a higher proteins/polysaccharides ratio, thus enhancing the stability of the AGS. In addition, microbial community analysis revealed that the great performance of the AGS on denitrification and phosphorus removal could be attributed to the enrichment of denitrifying bacteria, phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAO), and denitrifying PAO by Fe3O4@PANI. Thus, Fe3O4@PANI has been demonstrated to have a positive effect on the formation and stability of AGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfeng Ouyang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Bin Qiu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
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38
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Candry P, Godfrey BJ, Wang Z, Sabba F, Dieppa E, Fudge J, Balogun O, Wells G, Winkler MKH. Tailoring polyvinyl alcohol-sodium alginate (PVA-SA) hydrogel beads by controlling crosslinking pH and time. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20822. [PMID: 36460678 PMCID: PMC9718846 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25111-7] [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: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogel-encapsulated catalysts are an attractive tool for low-cost intensification of (bio)-processes. Polyvinyl alcohol-sodium alginate hydrogels crosslinked with boric acid and post-cured with sulfate (PVA-SA-BS) have been applied in bioproduction and water treatment processes, but the low pH required for crosslinking may negatively affect biocatalyst functionality. Here, we investigate how crosslinking pH (3, 4, and 5) and time (1, 2, and 8 h) affect the physicochemical, elastic, and process properties of PVA-SA-BS beads. Overall, bead properties were most affected by crosslinking pH. Beads produced at pH 3 and 4 were smaller and contained larger internal cavities, while optical coherence tomography suggested polymer cross-linking density was higher. Optical coherence elastography revealed PVA-SA-BS beads produced at pH 3 and 4 were stiffer than pH 5 beads. Dextran Blue release showed that pH 3-produced beads enabled higher diffusion rates and were more porous. Last, over a 28-day incubation, pH 3 and 4 beads lost more microspheres (as cell proxies) than beads produced at pH 5, while the latter released more polymer material. Overall, this study provides a path forward to tailor PVA-SA-BS hydrogel bead properties towards a broad range of applications, such as chemical, enzymatic, and microbially catalyzed (bio)-processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Candry
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98195-2700 USA
| | - Bruce J. Godfrey
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98195-2700 USA
| | - Ziwei Wang
- grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Mechanical Engineering Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | | | - Evan Dieppa
- grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Julia Fudge
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98195-2700 USA
| | - Oluwaseyi Balogun
- grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Mechanical Engineering Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA ,grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - George Wells
- grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
| | - Mari-Karoliina Henriikka Winkler
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98195-2700 USA
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Zhou Y, Zhou Y, Chen S, Guo N, Xiang P, Lin S, Bai Y, Hu X, Zhang Z. Evaluating the role of algae in algal-bacterial granular sludge: Nutrient removal, microbial community and granular characteristics. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 365:128165. [PMID: 36283664 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Algal-bacterial granular sludge (ABGS) and bacterial granular sludge (BGS, control group) were operated over 240 days to investigate the role of algae in treating synthetic municipal wastewater. The results showed that algae significantly improved the removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN). The nitrogen removal load of ABGS was 2.6 mg-N/g-VSS/day (22.8 %, light) and 1.1 mg-N/g-VSS/day (9.6 %, dark) higher than that of BGS, respectively, which was attributed to algae enhanced NH3-N removal capacity in the anaerobic stage and increased the utilization efficiency of organics in denitrification. Algae increased the relative abundance of denitrifying bacteria, and ABGS (28.83 %) was higher than BGS (14.28 %). Moreover, the dominant phylum of algae was Chlorophyta (98.39 %), the chlorophyll-a was sustained at 1.28 ± 0.26 mg/g-VSS. Algae significantly increased the content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and the increased polysaccharide came from the tightly bound EPS. This study expands the understanding of the role of algae in ABGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Yuanhang Zhou
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Siqin Chen
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Niuniu Guo
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Ping Xiang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Shutao Lin
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Yun Bai
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Xueli Hu
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China.
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40
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Cavanaugh SK, Nguyen Quoc B, Jacobson E, Bucher R, Sukapanpotharam P, Winkler MKH. Impact of nitrite and oxygen on nitrous oxide emissions from a granular sludge sequencing batch reactor. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136378. [PMID: 36113651 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136378] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Maximizing nutrient removal and minimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is imperative for the future of wastewater treatment. As municipalities focus on minimizing their carbon footprints, future permits could regulate GHG emissions from wastewater treatment plants. This study investigates how nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions are affected by dissolved oxygen and nitrite concentrations, providing potential strategies to meet possible gaseous emission permits. A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was enriched with aerobic granular sludge (AGS) capable of phosphate removal and simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND). N2O emissions were tracked at varying dissolved oxygen (DO) and nitrite (NO2-) concentrations, with >99% SND efficiency and 93%-100% phosphate removal efficiency. Higher DO and NO2- concentrations were associated with higher N2O emissions. Emissions were minimized at a DO concentration of 1 mg L-1, with an average emission factor of 0.18% of oxidized NH3-N emitted as N2O-N, which is lower than factors from many full-scale treatment plants (Vasilaki et al., 2019) and similar to a Nereda® full-scale AGS SBR (van Dijk et al., 2021). This challenges assertions that AGS emits more N2O than conventional activated sludge, although more research at full-scale with influent quality variations is required to confirm this trend. Molecular analyses revealed that the efficient SND was likely achieved with shortcut nitrogen removal facilitated by a low presence of nitrite oxidizing bacteria and a large population of denitrifying phosphate accumulating organisms, which far outnumbered denitrifying glycogen accumulating organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon K Cavanaugh
- University of Washington, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Bao Nguyen Quoc
- University of Washington, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Eron Jacobson
- Resource Recovery, Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Robert Bucher
- Resource Recovery, Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Pardi Sukapanpotharam
- Resource Recovery, Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Mari-Karoliina H Winkler
- University of Washington, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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41
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Ou D, Hu C, Liu Y. Metagenomics unraveled the characteristics and microbial response to hypersaline stress in salt-tolerant aerobic granular sludge. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 321:115950. [PMID: 35988403 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the salt-tolerant aerobic granular sludge (SAGS) was cultivated with the increased salinity (0-9% NaCl), showing oval shape, and clear outline. The related sludge characteristics in the formation process of SAGS as well as the effects of salinity on the performance (removal ability, sludge biomass and EPS component) of SAGS were evaluated. Increased salinity accelerated the formation of SAGS, and resulted in the excess secretion of EPS. Relationship between EPS and settling capacity of SAGS was determined, with the increase of salinity, SVI decreased linearly and the sedimentation performance of granular sludge was enhanced. Pearson correlation analysis showed that shorter settling time (3 min) and longer anaerobic influent time (30 min) were beneficial to the operation of SAGS reactor. Metagenomics results showed that the SAGS was dominated by Candida, Halomonas and other salt-tolerant bacteria, the enrichment of these salt-tolerant microbes played an important role in maintaining the stability of granular sludge system and improving the overall salt-tolerant performance. Compared with S9 samples, the proteome regulation in S0 sample was more active and the abundance of Cell motility related proteins was 5 times higher than that in S9 samples. Extracellular structure related proteins was more active in S9, and its abundance was 3.6 times that of S0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Ou
- College of Biological, Chemical Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314001, PR China
| | - Changwei Hu
- College of Biological, Chemical Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314001, PR China.
| | - Yongdi Liu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Wastewater Treatment, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China.
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Li D, Guo W, Liang D, Zhang J, Li J, Li P, Wu Y, Bian X, Ding F. Rapid start-up and advanced nutrient removal of simultaneous nitrification, endogenous denitrification and phosphorus removal aerobic granular sequence batch reactor for treating low C/N domestic wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113464. [PMID: 35623442 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The rapid start-up and advanced nutrient removal of simultaneous nitrification, endogenous denitrification, and phosphorus (P) removal aerobic granular sequence batch reactor (SNEDPR-AGSBR) is a challenge in the treatment of low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) domestic sewage. In this study, the feasibility of the SNEDPR-AGSBR process was examined in an exceedingly single-stage anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic sequencing batch reactor for treating low C/N ratio (3.3-5.0) domestic sewage. The initial results showed that accompanied by the rapid formation of the mature aerobic granular sludge based on the selection for slow-growing organisms, the rapid start-up (38 d) of the SNEDPR-AGSBR process was successfully realized. The formed mature aerobic granules had a dense structure with an average diameter of 667.7 μm and SVI30 of 30.0 mL/g. Two conditions for achieving the competitive balance between phosphorus-accumulating organisms/denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs/DPAOs) and glycogen accumulating organisms/denitrifying glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs/DGAOs) were revealed by the long-term operation results. First, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration needed to be decreased to 3.0 mg/L in the aerobic phase, and then, the aerobic and anoxic phase hydraulic retention time (HRT) should be increased to 3.0 h. Notably, high removal efficiencies for NH4+-N (100%), total nitrogen (84.3%), and P (91.8%) of the SNEDPR-AGSBR process were stably obtained with a low C/N ratio of 3.9 domestic sewage. Simultaneous nitrification and endogenous denitrification (SNED) efficiency of 61.6% was achieved during a long-term operation of 142 days. Finally, microbial community analysis confirmed that GAOs (Defluviicoccus)/DGAOs (Candidatus_Competibacter) were responsible for the removal N, and PAOs (Acinetobacter, Candidatus_Accumulibacter, Hypomicrobinm)/DPAOs (Pseudomonas and Dechloromonas) ensured P removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyue Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Wei Guo
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Dongbo Liang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.
| | - Jun Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China.
| | - Peilin Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Yaodong Wu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Xueying Bian
- National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China
| | - Fan Ding
- SDIC Xinkai Water Environment Investment Co., Ltd, Beijing, 101100, China
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Jin L, You S, Ren N, Ding B, Liu Y. Mo Vacancy-Mediated Activation of Peroxymonosulfate for Ultrafast Micropollutant Removal Using an Electrified MXene Filter Functionalized with Fe Single Atoms. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11750-11759. [PMID: 35905440 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Developing advanced heterogeneous catalysts with atomically dispersed active sites is an efficient strategy to boost the kinetics of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for micropollutant removal. Here, we report a binary Mo2TiC2Tx MXene-based electroactive filter system with abundant surface Mo vacancies for effective activation of PMS. The Mo vacancies assumed two essential roles: (i) as anchoring sites for Fe single atoms (Fe-SA) and (ii) as cocatalytic sites for the Fenton-like reaction. Fe-SA formed strong metal-oxygen bonds with the Mo2TiC2Tx support, stabilizing at the sites previously occupied by Mo. The resulting Fe-SA/Mo2TiC2Tx nanohybrid filter achieved 100% degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in the single-pass mode (hydraulic retention time <2 s) when assisted by an electric field (2.0 V). The rate constant (k = 2.89 min-1) for SMX removal was 24 and 67 times greater than that of Fe nanoparticles immobilized on Mo2TiC2Tx and the pristine Mo2TiC2Tx filter, respectively. Operation in the flow-through configuration outperformed the conventional batch reactor model (k = 0.17 min-1) due to convection-enhanced mass transport. The results obtained from experimental investigations and theoretical calculations suggested that atomically dispersed Fe-SA, anchored on Mo vacancies, was responsible for the adsorption and activation of PMS to produce sulfate radicals (SO4•-) in the presence of an electric field. This study provides a proof-of-concept demonstration of an electroactive Fe-SA/Mo2TiC2Tx filter for broader application in the treatment of water contaminated by emerging micropollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Jin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Textile Pollution Controlling Engineering Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Shijie You
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Nanqi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Bin Ding
- Innovation Center for Textile Science and Technology, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China
| | - Yanbiao Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Textile Pollution Controlling Engineering Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
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Hu P, Shao J, Qian G, Adeleye AS, Hao T. Removal of tetracycline by aerobic granular sludge from marine aquaculture wastewater: A molecular dynamics investigation. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 355:127286. [PMID: 35545206 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although biological treatment of marine aquaculture wastewater is promising, the fundamental principles driving the adsorption of tetracycline to microbial cell membrane are not well understood. Using a combination of experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the mechanism underlying the biological removal of tetracycline from seawater was investigated. More than 90% tetracycline removal was achieved in an aerobic granular sludge system, with degradation accounting for 30% of total removal. A model of the tetracycline-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers was established to elucidate the transport mechanism of tetracycline from bulk solution to microorganisms' cell membrane. 62% of the driving force for tetracycline adsorption on the cell membrane originated from electrostatic attraction. The electrophilic groups on tetracycline (amino and aromatic groups) were attracted to the phosphate groups in the cell membrane. Sodium ions, which are abundant in seawater, decreased the interaction energy between tetracycline and the cell membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Hu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Jingyi Shao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Guangsheng Qian
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Adeyemi S Adeleye
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2175, USA
| | - Tianwei Hao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau, China.
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Ran X, Zhou M, Wang T, Wang W, Kumari S, Wang Y. Multidisciplinary characterization of nitrogen-removal granular sludge: A review of advances and technologies. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 214:118214. [PMID: 35240472 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen-removal granular sludge (NRGS) is a promising technology in wastewater treatment, with advantages of efficient nitrogen removal, less footprint, lower sludge production and energy consumption, and is a way for wastewater treatment plants to achieve carbon-neutrality. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) and anammox granular sludge (AnGS) are two typical NRGS technologies that have attracted extensive attention. Mounting evidence has shown strong associations between NRGS properties and the status of NRGS systems; however, a holistic view is still missing. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of NRGS with an emphasis on characterization. Specifically, the integrated nitrogen transformation pathways inside NRGS and the performance of NRGS treating various wastewaters are discussed. NRGS properties are categorized as physical-, chemical-, biological- and systematical ones, presenting current advances and corresponding characterization technologies. Finally, the future prospects for furthering the mechanistic understanding and engineering application of NRGS are proposed. Overall, the technological advancements in characterization have greatly contributed to understanding NRGS properties, which are potential factors for optimizing the performance and evaluating the working status of NRGS. This review will provide guidance in characterizing NRGS properties and boost the introduction of novel characterization technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Mingda Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Tong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Weigang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Sheena Kumari
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, P.O. Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Yayi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
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