A positive contribution to nitrogen removal by a novel NOB in a full-scale duck wastewater treatment system.

Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are undesirable in the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox)-driven nitrogen removal technologies in the modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Diverse strategies have been developed to suppress NOB based on their physiological properties that we have understood. But our knowledge of the diversity and mechanisms employed by NOB for survival in the modern WWTPs remains limited.

Negligible adsorption and toxicity of microplastic fibers in disinfected secondary effluents.

Wastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in controlling the transport of pollutants to the environment and often discharge persistent contaminants such as synthetic microplastic fibers (MFs) to the ecosystem. In this study, we examined the fate and toxicity of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MFs fabricated from commercial cloth in post-disinfection secondary effluents by employing conditions that closely mimic disinfection processes applied in wastewater treatment plants. Challenging conventional assumptions, this study illustrated that oxidative treatment by chlorination and ozonation incurred no significant modification to the surface morphology of the MFs.

Environmental processes and health implications potentially mediated by dust-borne bacteria.

Understanding microbial migration and survival mechanisms in dust events (DEs) can elucidate genetic and metabolic exchange between environments and help predict the atmospheric pathways of ecological and health-related microbial stressors. Dust-borne microbial communities have been previously characterized, but the impact and interactions between potentially active bacteria within transported communities remain limited. Here, we analysed samples collected during DEs in Israel, using amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes and transcripts.

Liquid-Core Encapsulation of Biogenic Mn Oxides for Improved Oxidation Kinetics of Organic Pollutants.

Nano- and micron-sized catalysts are continuously being discovered as efficient tools for pollutant oxidation. Their small size motivates their entrapment in beads or capsules for easier handling, but this is normally followed by reduced reaction kinetics due to slower mass transfer within the encapsulation matrix. In this study, liquid-core encapsulation was explored as a way to overcome this limitation.

Delineation of the complex microbial nitrogen-transformation network in an anammox-driven full-scale wastewater treatment plant.

Microbial-driven nitrogen removal is a crucial step in modern full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and the complexity of nitrogen transformation is integral to the various wastewater treatment processes. A full understanding of the overall nitrogen cycling networks in WWTPs is therefore a prerequisite for the further enhancement and optimization of wastewater treatment processes. In this study, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics were used to elucidate the microbial nitrogen removal processes in an ammonium-enriched full-scale WWTP, which was configured as an anaerobic-anoxic-anaerobic-oxic system for efficient nitrogen removal (99.

Microplastic Textile Fibers Accumulate in Sand and Are Potential Sources of Micro(nano)plastic Pollution.

Agricultural soils have been identified as sinks for microplastic fibers; however, little information is available on their long-term fate in these soils. In this study, polyester and nylon fibers were precisely cut to relevant environmental lengths, using novel methodology, and their behavior in sand columns was studied at environmental concentration. The longer fibers (>50 μm) accumulated in the upper layers of the sand, smaller fibers were slightly more mobile, and nylon showed marginally higher mobility than polyester.

Layer-by-Layer Encapsulation of Herbicide-Degrading Bacteria for Improved Surface Properties and Compatibility in Soils.

cells overexpressing the enzyme atrazine chlorohydrolase were coated using layer-by-layer self-assembly. The polymeric coating was designed to improve the surface properties of the cells and create positively charged, ecologically safe, bio-hybrid capsules that can efficiently degrade the herbicide atrazine in soils. The physio-chemical properties of the bacteria/polymer interface were studied as a function of the polymeric composition of the shell and its thickness.

Systematic evaluation of activated carbon-FeO composites for removing and degrading emerging organic pollutants.

In this study, a comparative activity assessment of several activated carbon (AC) and AC-FeO composites was performed to evaluate their efficiency and versatility as Fenton-like catalysts. Although many studies have demonstrated the advantages of AC-based materials as Fenton-like catalysts, most have been developed using only one oxidant and/or one pollutant. Here, untreated (AC) and acid-treated AC (AC) iron-oxide composites were synthesized, characterized, and compared in terms of activity to bare AC using several oxidants and pollutants, the activation efficiency of hydrogen peroxide (HO) and ammonium persulfate ((NH)SO), and the subsequent oxidation extent and kinetics of bisphenol-A, atrazine, and carbamazepine by the AC-based materials were studied in depth.

Solid peroxides in Fenton-like reactions at near neutral pHs: Superior performance of MgO on the accelerated reduction of ferric species.

Fenton-like reactions at near neutral pHs are limited by the slow reduction of ferric species. Enhancing generation of from solid peroxides is a promising strategy to accelerate the rate-limiting step. Herein, the HO release and Fenton-like reactions of four solid peroxides, MgO, CaO, ZnO and urea hydrogen peroxide (UHP), were investigated.

Iron-Montmorillonite-Cyclodextrin Composites as Recyclable Sorbent Catalysts for the Adsorption and Surface Oxidation of Organic Pollutants.

Iron-clay-cyclodextrin composites were designed as sorbent catalysts to adsorb and oxidize pollutants from water. The clay-iron backbone served as a mechanical support and as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst, and the cyclodextrin monomers or polymers cross-linked with polyfluorinated aromatic molecules were used to accommodate adsorption of the pollutants. The composite based on iron-clay-cyclodextrin-polymers (Fe-MMT-βCD-DFB) exhibited superior adsorption and degradation of the model pollutants, bisphenol A (BPA), carbamazepine (CBZ), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), compared to the monomer-based composite and the native iron clay.

The effect of gallic acid interactions with iron-coated clay on surface redox reactivity.

Adsorption and redox reactions between organic matter and natural reactive surfaces have a significant impact on pollutant sequestration and transformation, and on the effectivity of water and soil remediation practices. Herein, the interactions between an organic phenolic acid, gallic acid (GA), and clay coated with iron oxides (FeOx-MMT), were explored. Adsorption and desorption experiments revealed that GA has a higher affinity for FeOx-MMT than for native clay.

Curli production enhances clay-E. coli aggregation and sedimentation.

Curli are amyloid fibrils that polymerize extracellularly from curlin, a protein that is secreted by many enteric bacteria and is important for biofilm formation. Presented here is a systematic study of the effects of curli on bacteria-clay interactions. The aggregation trends of curli-producing and curli-deficient bacteria with clay minerals were followed using gradient-sedimentation experiments, Lumisizer measurements, bright-field and electron microscopy.

Enhanced biodegradation of atrazine by bacteria encapsulated in organically modified silica gels.

Biodegradation by cells encapsulated in silica gel is an economical and environmentally friendly method for the removal of toxic chemicals from the environment. In this work, recombinant E. coli expressing atrazine chlorohydrolase (AtzA) were encapsulated in organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) gels composed of TEOS, silica nanoparticles (SNPs), and either phenyltriethoxysilane (PTES) or methyltriethoxysilane (MTES).

Silica Gel for Enhanced Activity and Hypochlorite Protection of Cyanuric Acid Hydrolase in Recombinant Escherichia coli.

Unlabelled: Chlorinated isocyanuric acids are widely used water disinfectants that generate hypochlorite, but with repeated application, they build up cyanuric acid (CYA) that must be removed to maintain disinfection. 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-treated Escherichia coli cells expressing cyanuric acid hydrolase (CAH) from Moorella thermoacetica exhibited significantly high CYA degradation rates and provided protection against enzyme inactivation by hypochlorite (chlorine). APTES coating or encapsulation of cells had two benefits: (i) overcoming diffusion limitations imposed by the cell wall and (ii) protecting against hypochlorite inactivation of CAH activity.

Effect of humic acid on pyrene removal from water by polycation-clay mineral composites and activated carbon.

Pyrene removal by polycation-montmorillonite (MMT) composites and granulated activated carbon (GAC) in the presence of humic acid (HA) was examined. Pyrene, HA, and sorbent interactions were characterized by FTIR, fluorescence and zeta measurements, adsorption, and column filtration experiments. Pyrene binding coefficients to the macromolecules were in the order of PVPcoS (poly-4-vinylpiridine-co-styrene) > HA > PDADMAC (poly diallyl-dimethyl-ammonium-chloride), correlating to pyrene-macromolecules compatibility.

Applying zeta potential measurements to characterize the adsorption on montmorillonite of organic cations as monomers, micelles, or polymers.

A systematic study was carried out to characterize the adsorption of organic cations as monomers, micelles, or polymers on montmorillonite by monitoring zeta potential (ξ) as a function of cation loading on the clay. In general, the clay's ξ became less negative as cation loading increased. A fairly good linear correlation between adsorption of organic cations on the clay, up to the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the clay, and ξ potential of the composites was fitted.

Atrazine removal from water by polycation-clay composites: effect of dissolved organic matter and comparison to activated carbon.

Atrazine removal from water by two polycations pre-adsorbed on montmorillonite was studied. Batch experiments demonstrated that the most suitable composite poly (4-vinylpyridine-co-styrene)-montmorillonite (PVP-co-S90%-mont.) removed 90-99% of atrazine (0.

Characterizing and designing polycation-clay nanocomposites as a basis for imazapyr controlled release formulations.

A novel controlled release formulation (CRF) of the herbicide imazapyr (IMP) was designed to reduce its leaching,which causes soil and water contamination. The anionic herbicide IMP was bound to polydiallyldimethylammonium-chloride (PDADMAC)-montmorillonite composites. PDADMAC adsorption reached a high loading of polymer, which resulted in charge reversal of the clay and promoted IMP binding.