Biodegradation of P-nitro phenol using a novel bacterium Achromobacter denitrifacians isolated from industrial effluent water

Unveiling genomic features linked to traits of plant growth-promoting bacterial communities from sugarcane

Microorganisms are ubiquitous, and those inhabiting plants have been the subject of several studies. Plant-associated bacteria exhibit various biological mechanisms that enable them to colonize host plants and, in some cases, enhance their fitness. In this study, we describe the genomic features predicted to be associated with plant growth-promoting traits in six bacterial communities isolated from sugarcane. The use of highly accurate single-molecule real-time sequencing technology for metagenomic samples from these bacterial communities allowed us to recover 17 genomes. The taxonomic assignments for the binned genomes were performed, revealing taxa distributed across three main phyla: Bacillota, Bacteroidota, and Pseudomonadota, with the latter being the most representative. Subsequently, we functionally annotated the metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) to characterize their metabolic pathways related to plant growth-promoting traits. Our study successfully identified the enrichment of important functions related to phosphate and potassium acquisition, modulation of phytohormones, and mechanisms for coping with abiotic stress. These findings could be linked to the robust colonization of these sugarcane endophytes.

Detoxification of p-nitrophenol (PNP) using Enterococcus gallinarum JT-02 isolated from animal farm waste sludge

Enterococcus gallinarum (JT-02) isolated and identified from the animal farm waste sludge was found to be capable of biodegrading p-nitrophenol (PNP), an organic compound used to manufacture drugs, fungicides, insecticides, dyes, and to darken leather. The intention of this study was to optimize the biodegradation by finding the optimal conditions for the specific strain through single-factor experiments. The bacterial strain was grown in Luria Bertani broth and various parameters were optimized to achieve the prime settings for the p-nitrophenol (PNP) biodegradation. The results indicated that the best setups for the biodegradation by the strain JT-02 was 100 mg/L of PNP; pH 7; 30 °C; 150 rpm in a shaker incubator and 3% (v/v) of inoculum dose. Once the optimal conditions were found, the bacteria were capable of degrading p-nitrophenol (98.21%) in 4 days. Intermediates produced during PNP biodegradation were identified using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis and the biodegradation pathway was elucidated. Phytotoxicity studies were carried out with Vigna radiata seeds to confirm the applicability and efficiency of PNP biodegradation.

Characterization and Biodegradation of Phenol by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella variicola Strains Isolated from Sewage Sludge and Their Effect on Soybean Seeds Germination

Phenols are very soluble in water; as a result, they can pollute a massive volume of fresh water, wastewater, groundwater, oceans, and soil, negatively affecting plant germination and animal and human health. For the detoxification and bioremediation of phenol in wastewater, phenol biodegradation using novel bacteria isolated from sewage sludge was investigated. Twenty samples from sewage sludge (SS) were collected, and bacteria in SS contents were cultured in the mineral salt agar (MSA) containing phenol (500 mg/L). Twenty colonies (S1 up to S20) were recovered from all the tested SS samples. The characteristics of three bacterial properties, 16S rDNA sequencing, similarities, GenBank accession number, and phylogenetic analysis showed that strains S3, S10, and S18 were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Klebsiella variicola, respectively. P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and K. variicola were able to degrade 1000 mg/L phenol in the mineral salt medium. The bacterial strains from sewage sludge were efficient in removing 71.70 and 74.67% of phenol at 1000 mg/L within three days and could tolerate high phenol concentrations (2000 mg/L). The findings showed that P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and K. variicola could potentially treat phenolic water. All soybean and faba bean seeds were germinated after being treated with 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg/L phenol in a mineral salt medium inoculated with these strains. The highest maximum phenol removal and detoxification rates were P. aeruginosa and K. variicola. These strains may help decompose and detoxify phenol from industrial wastewater with high phenol levels and bioremediating phenol-contaminated soils.

A Brief Data on Water Demand Assessment for Sustainable Potable Water Supply in Yergalem Tula Kebele, Ethiopia

In spite of Ethiopia’s abundant water resources, such as rainwater, groundwater, river, and lake, there has been an increase in the demand for potable water during the past decade. Since 1990, Ethiopia has only achieved 57 percent of the Millennium Development Goal target for access to safe drinking water. Inadequate access to clean potable water and sewerage services and lack of good hygiene practices have a negative impact on health and nutrition, such as diarrheal disease which is one of the leading causes of mortality among children under the age of five in Ethiopia. The objective of the present study is to assess the water demand in Yergalem Tula Kebele, which will be used in the sustainable potable water supply design for the city. The water demand analysis is based on a geometric method of population forecasting with an annual growth rate of 3%. The total water demand (domestic and nondomestic water demands) projection has also been made and the per capita water demand of 25 liters for a distance of 0.5 km from the water distribution point for rural piped water supply system is adopted, as per GTP-II minimum service level. The mode and level of services considered for community water supplies include public fountains and institutions (i.e., schools and health centers/posts) with stand water points.

Evaluation of Water Resource Utilization Efficiency in Provincial Areas of China Based on the Unexpected Output SBM Model

Based on the SBM model including unexpected output, this paper studies the water resource utilization efficiency of 30 provinces in China from 2003 to 2019. The study found that China's water resource utilization efficiency showed obvious provincial differences. The water resource utilization efficiency of most eastern coastal provinces was relatively high, and that of most central and western inland provinces was not high. There are also significant differences among the three regions of the East, the middle, and the West. The utilization efficiency of water resources in the East is the highest, followed by the middle, and the West is the lowest. The redundancy of input factors, such as labor, capital, and water consumption, is the main reason for the low efficiency of water resource utilization, and the redundancy of wastewater discharge also affects the efficiency of water resource utilization. The clustering results show that the utilization efficiency of water resources in most provinces of China is located in medium efficiency area and low efficiency area, and the efficiency needs to be improved. There are relatively few provinces in high-efficiency areas, highlighting that China's water resource utilization still faces severe challenges.

Treatment of Pharma Effluent using Anaerobic Packed Bed Reactor

The treatment of pharmaceutical effluent using an appropriate technology has become so important. Anaerobic packed bed reactor is an efficient method for pharmaceutical effluent treatment because of the high organic content present in it. In this study, a heavy-polluted pharma effluent is treated using an anaerobic packed bed reactor. The performance of the anaerobic reactor was identified with respect to chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, methane yield, and gas production. The results showed that COD was reduced from 73% to 60% for an organic loading rate (OLR) of 0.6036–1.7487 kg COD m⁻³·d⁻¹. As the OLR increases, the removal efficiency of COD decreases gradually to around 52% for an OLR of 2.34 kg COD m⁻³·d⁻¹.