Linking microbial community structure to function in representative simulated systems

Microbiota and nanoparticles: Description and interactions

The healthy human body is inhabited with a large number of bacteria, forming natural flora. It is even estimated that for a human body, its amount of DNA is less important that its bacterial genetic material. This flora plays major roles in the sickness and health of the human body and any change in its composition may lead to different diseases. Nanoparticles are widely used in numerous fields: cosmetics, food, industry, and as drug delivery carrier in the medical field. Being included in these various applications, nanoparticles may interact with the human body at various levels and with different mechanisms. These interactions differ depending on the nanoparticle nature, its structure, its concentration and manifest in different ways on the microbiota, leading to its destabilization, its restoring or showing no toxic effect. Nanoparticles may also be used as a vehicle to regulate the microbiota or to treat some of its diseases.

Worldwide Regulations and Guidelines for Agricultural Water Reuse: A Critical Review

Water reuse is gaining momentum as a beneficial practice to address the water crisis, especially in the agricultural sector as the largest water consumer worldwide. With recent advancements in wastewater treatment technologies, it is possible to produce almost any water quality. However, the main human and environmental concerns are still to determine what constituents must be removed and to what extent. The main objectives of this study were to compile, evaluate, and compare the current agricultural water reuse regulations and guidelines worldwide, and identify the gaps. In total, 70 regulations and guidelines, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), the United States (state by state), European Commission, Canada (all provinces), Australia, Mexico, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Palestine, Oman, China, Kuwait, Israel, Saudi Arabia, France, Cyprus, Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Italy were investigated in this study. These regulations and guidelines were examined to compile a comprehensive database, including all of the water quality monitoring parameters, and necessary treatment processes. In summary, results showed that the regulations and guidelines are mainly human-health centered, insufficient regarding some of the potentially dangerous pollutants such as emerging constituents, and with large discrepancies when compared with each other. In addition, some of the important water quality parameters such as some of the pathogens, heavy metals, and salinity are only included in a small group of regulations and guidelines investigated in this study. Finally, specific treatment processes have been only mentioned in some of the regulations and guidelines, and with high levels of discrepancy.

Evaluation of conceptual model and predictors of faecal sludge dewatering performance in Senegal and Tanzania

Unpredictable dewatering performance is a barrier to the effective management and treatment of faecal sludge. While mechanisms of dewatering in sludges from wastewater treatment are well understood, it is not clear how dewatering of faecal sludge fits into the framework of existing knowledge. We evaluate physical-chemical parameters, including EPS and cations, and demographic (source), environmental (microbial community), and technical factors (residence time) as possible predictors of dewatering performance in faecal sludge, and make comparisons to the existing conceptual model for wastewater sludge. Faecal sludge from public toilets took longer to dewater than sludge from other sources, and had turbid supernatant after settling. Slow dewatering and turbid supernatant corresponded to high EPS and monovalent cation concentrations, conductivity, and pH, but cake solids after dewatering was not correlated with EPS or other factors. Faecal sludges with higher EPS appeared less stabilised than those with lower EPS, potentially a result of inhibition of biological degradation due to high urine concentrations. However, distinct microbial community compositions were also observed in samples with higher and lower EPS concentrations. Higher EPS faecal sludge was comparable in dewatering behaviour and EPS content to anaerobically digested and primary wastewater sludges. However lower EPS faecal sludges had different dewatering behaviour than wastewater sludges and may be governed by different mechanisms.

Linking Microbial Community Composition in Treated Wastewater with Water Quality in Distribution Systems and Subsequent Health Effects

The increases in per capita water consumption, coupled in part with global climate change have resulted in increased demands on available freshwater resources. Therefore, the availability of safe, pathogen-free drinking water is vital to public health. This need has resulted in global initiatives to develop sustainable urban water infrastructure for the treatment of wastewater for different purposes such as reuse water for irrigation, and advanced waste water purification systems for domestic water supply. In developed countries, most of the water goes through primary, secondary, and tertiary treatments combined with disinfectant, microfiltration (MF), reverse osmosis (RO), etc. to produce potable water. During this process the total bacterial load of the water at different stages of the treatment will decrease significantly from the source water. Microbial diversity and load may decrease by several orders of magnitude after microfiltration and reverse osmosis treatment and falling to almost non-detectable levels in some of the most managed wastewater treatment facilities. However, one thing in common with the different end users is that the water goes through massive distribution systems, and the pipes in the distribution lines may be contaminated with diverse microbes that inhabit these systems. In the main distribution lines, microbes survive within biofilms which may contain opportunistic pathogens. This review highlights the role of microbial community composition in the final effluent treated wastewater, biofilms formation in the distribution systems as the treated water goes through, and the subsequent health effects from potential pathogens associated with poorly treated water. We conclude by pointing out some basic steps that may be taken to reduce the accumulation of biofilms in the water distribution systems.

A modeling approach integrating microbial activity, mass transfer, and geochemical processes to interpret biological assays: An example for PCE degradation in a multi-phase batch setup

The rate at which organic contaminants can be degraded in aquatic environments is not only dependent upon specific degrading bacteria, but also upon the composition of the microbial community, mass transfer of the contaminant, and abiotic processes that occur in the environment. In this study, we present three-phase batch experiments of tetrachloroethene (PCE) degradation by a consortium of organohalide-respiring bacteria, cultivated alone or in communities with iron- and/or sulfate-reducers. We developed a modeling approach to quantitatively evaluate the experimental results, comprised of chemical and biomolecular time series data. The model utilizes the IPhreeqc module to couple multi-phase mass transfer between gaseous, organic and aqueous phases with microbial and aquatic geochemical processes described using the geochemical code PHREEQC. The proposed approach is able to capture the contaminant degradation, the microbial population dynamics, the effects of multi-phase kinetic mass transfer and sample removal, and the geochemical reactions occurring in the aqueous phase. The model demonstrates the importance of aqueous speciation and abiotic reactions on the bioavailability of the substrates. The model-based interpretation allowed us to quantify the reaction kinetics of the different bacterial guilds. The model further revealed that the inclusion of sulfate-reducing bacteria lowers the rate of PCE degradation and that this effect is moderated in the presence of iron-reducing bacteria.

Conventional wastewater treatment and reuse site practices modify bacterial community structure but do not eliminate some opportunistic pathogens in reclaimed water

Water recycling continues to expand across the United States, from areas that have access to advanced, potable-level treated reclaimed water, to those having access only to reclaimed water treated at conventional municipal wastewater treatment plants. This expansion makes it important to further characterize the microbial quality of these conventionally-treated water sources. Therefore, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize total bacterial communities present in differentially-treated wastewater and reclaimed water (n = 67 samples) from four U.S. wastewater treatment plants and one associated spray irrigation site conducting on-site ultraviolet treatment and open-air storage. The number of observed operational taxonomic units was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in effluent, compared to influent, after conventional treatment. Effluent community structure was influenced more by treatment method than by influent community structure. The abundance of Legionella spp. increased as treatment progressed in one treatment plant that performed chlorination and in another that seasonally chlorinated. Overall, the alpha-diversity of bacterial communities in reclaimed water decreased (p < 0.01) during wastewater treatment and spray irrigation site ultraviolet treatment (p < 0.01), but increased (p < 0.01) after open-air storage at the spray irrigation site. The abundance of Legionella spp. was higher at the sprinkler system pumphouse at the spray irrigation site than in the influent from the treatment plant supplying the site. Legionella pneumophila was detected in conventionally treated effluent samples and in samples collected after ultraviolet treatment at the spray irrigation site, while Legionella feeleii persisted throughout on-site treatment at the spray irrigation site, and, along with Mycobacterium gordonae, was also detected at the sprinkler system pumphouse at the spray irrigation site. These data could inform the development of future treatment technologies and reuse guidelines that address a broader assemblage of the bacterial community of reclaimed water, resulting in reuse practices that may be more protective of public health.

Influence of septic system wastewater treatment on titanium dioxide nanoparticle subsurface transport mechanisms

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are commonly incorporated into food and consumer applications to enhance a specific product aspect (i.e., optical properties). Life cycle analyses revealed ENMs can be released from products during usage and reach wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) accounting for a large fraction. As such, food grade (FG) TiO₂, a more common form of TiO₂ in wastewater, was used in this study. Nanomaterials in WWTPs have been well characterized, although the problematic septic system has been neglected. Elution and bioaccumulation of TiO₂ ENMs from WTTPs in downriver sediments and microorganisms has been observed; however, little is known about mechanisms governing the elution of FG TiO₂ from the septic drainage system. This study characterized the transport behavior and mechanisms of FG TiO₂ particles in porous media conditions after septic waste treatment. FG and industrial grade (IG) TiO₂ (more commonly studied) were introduced to septic tank effluent and low-ionic strength electrolyte solutions prior to column transport experiments. Results indicate that FG TiO₂ aggregate size (200-400 nm) remained consistent across solutions. Additionally, elution of FG and IG TiO₂ was greatest in septic effluent at the higher nanoparticle concentration (100 ppm). FG TiO₂ was well retained at the low (2 ppm) concentration in septic effluent, suggesting that particles that escape the septic system may still be retained in drainage field before reaching the groundwater system, although eluted particles are highly stabilized. Findings provide valuable insight into the significance of the solution environment at mediating differences observed between uniquely engineered nanomaterials. Graphical abstract.

Effects of copper particles on a model septic system's function and microbial community

There is concern surrounding the addition of nanoparticles into consumer products due to toxicity potential and the increased risk of human and environmental exposures to these particles. Copper nanoparticles are found in many common consumer goods; therefore, the disposal and subsequent interactions between potentially toxic Cu-based nanoparticles and microbial communities may have detrimental impacts on wastewater treatment processes. This study investigates the effects of three copper particles (micron- and nano-scale Cu particles, and a nano-scale Cu(OH)2-based fungicide) on the function and operation of a model septic tank. Septic system analyses included water quality evaluations and microbial community characterizations to detect changes in and relationships between the septic tank function and microbial community phenotype/genotype. As would be expected for optimal wastewater treatment, biological oxygen demand (BOD5) was reduced by at least 63% during nano-scale Cu exposure, indicating normal function. pH was reduced to below the optimum anaerobic fermentation range during the micro Cu exposure, suggesting incomplete degradation of organic waste may have occurred. The copper fungicide, Cu(OH)2, caused a 57% increase in total organic carbon (TOC), which is well above the typical range for septic systems and also corresponded to increased BOD5 during the majority of the Cu(OH)2 exposure. The changes in TOC and BOD5 demonstrate that the system was improperly treating waste. Overall, results imply individual exposures to the three Cu particles caused distinct disruptions in septic tank function. However, it was observed that the system was able to recover to typical operating conditions after three weeks post-exposure. These results imply that during periods of Cu introduction, there are likely pulses of improper removal of total organic carbon and significant changes in pH not in the optimal range for the system.

Understanding the transformation, speciation, and hazard potential of copper particles in a model septic tank system using zebrafish to monitor the effluent

Although copper-containing nanoparticles are used in commercial products such as fungicides and bactericides, we presently do not understand the environmental impact on other organisms that may be inadvertently exposed. In this study, we used the zebrafish embryo as a screening tool to study the potential impact of two nano Cu-based materials, CuPRO and Kocide, in comparison to nanosized and micron-sized Cu and CuO particles in their pristine form (0-10 ppm) as well as following their transformation in an experimental wastewater treatment system. This was accomplished by construction of a modeled domestic septic tank system from which effluents could be retrieved at different stages following particle introduction (10 ppm). The Cu speciation in the effluent was identified as nondissolvable inorganic Cu(H2PO2)2 and nondiffusible organic Cu by X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT), and Visual MINTEQ software. While the nanoscale materials, including the commercial particles, were clearly more potent (showing 50% hatching interference above 0.5 ppm) than the micron-scale particulates with no effect on hatching up to 10 ppm, the Cu released from the particles in the septic tank underwent transformation into nonbioavailable species that failed to interfere with the function of the zebrafish embryo hatching enzyme. Moreover, we demonstrate that the addition of humic acid, as an organic carbon component, could lead to a dose-dependent decrease in Cu toxicity in our high content zebrafish embryo screening assay. Thus, the use of zebrafish embryo screening, in combination with the effluents obtained from a modeled exposure environment, enables a bioassay approach to follow the change in the speciation and hazard potential of Cu particles instead of difficult-to-perform direct particle tracking.