Removal of mixed PhACs by combined UV/HO and biologically activated carbon process: Toxicity assessment, transformation products and microbial community.

This study examined the removal and toxicity reduction of mixed pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), including carbamazepine, erythromycin, gemfibrozil, and diclofenac, in the UV/HO tandem with biologically activated carbon (UV/HO-BAC) process and explored potential detoxification mechanisms. Results indicated that the combined process effectively removed the mixed PhACs, with the UV/HO segment being the primary contributor. As distinct from concentration removal, the effluent toxicity significantly increased after UV/HO treatment.

Photochemical behavior of extracellular polymeric substances in intimately coupled TiO photocatalysis and biodegradation system.

Photosensitization of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in aqueous environments is significant for pollutants degradation, but the synergistic effects in intimately coupled photocatalysis and biodegradation (ICPB) remain unknown. In this study, the pivotal role of EPS photosensitization in the degradation of 17β-estradiol 3-sulfate (E2-3S) was investigated in ICPB. Protein and polysaccharide contents in loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) increased by 16.

Combining large-scale investigation and quantum chemical calculation of pharmaceuticals: Spatiotemporal patterns of occurrence and structural insights into removal.

This study investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of 17 pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from 17 provinces across China, and explored structural insights into their removal in full-scale wastewater treatment processes by quantum chemistry. Briefly, 10 pharmaceuticals were detected in above 85 % of samples, of which ibuprofen and sulfamethoxazole dominated with concentrations up to the μg/L level. Seasonally, concentrations of psychoactive drugs (PDs) were 1.

Degradation of conjugated estrogen in visible light-driven intimately coupled photocatalysis and biodegradation system.

Visible light-driven intimately coupled photocatalysis and biodegradation (VDICPB) is an efficient technology for removing recalcitrant contaminants, but the degradation pathway on 17β-estradiol 3-Sulfate (E2-3S) is still not clear. In this study, VDICPB based on N-doped TiO as a photocatalyst was established to investigate the removal and transformation of E2-3S in synthetic wastewater. VDICPB showed a satisfactory removal efficiency of 97.

Unveiling intricate transformation pathways of emerging contaminants during wastewater treatment processes through simplified network analysis.

As the key stage for purifying wastewater, elimination of emerging contaminants (ECs) is found to be fairly low in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, less knowledge is obtained regarding the transformation pathways between various chemical structures of ECs under different treatment processes. This study unveiled the transformation pathways of ECs with different structures in 15 WWTPs distributed across China by simplified network analysis (SNA) we proposed.

Deciphering Microbe-Mediated Dissolved Organic Matter Reactome in Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Directed Paired Mass Distance.

Understanding the reaction mechanism of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during wastewater biotreatment is crucial for optimal DOM control. Here, we develop a directed paired mass distance (dPMD) method that constructs a molecular network displaying the reaction pathways of DOM. It couples direction inference and PMD analysis to extract the substrate-product relationships and delta masses of potentially paired reactants directly from sequential mass spectrometry data without formula assignment.

A comprehensive insight into the transformation pathways and products of fluoxetine and venlafaxine in wastewater based on molecular networking nontarget screening.

Fluoxetine (FLX) and venlafaxine (VEN) are widely used antidepressant pharmaceuticals and were frequently detected in wastewater. Despite incomplete mineralization during biological wastewater treatment processes has been revealed, little is known about their transformation products (TPs) formed in the biological systems. To fill this gap, batch reactors and molecular networking nontarget screening were employed to identify the TPs and explore the transformation pathways of FLX and VEN in wastewater.

A Graph Neural Network Model with a Transparent Decision-Making Process Defines the Applicability Domain for Environmental Estrogen Screening.

The application of deep learning (DL) models for screening environmental estrogens (EEs) for the sound management of chemicals has garnered significant attention. However, the currently available DL model for screening EEs lacks both a transparent decision-making process and effective applicability domain (AD) characterization, making the reliability of its prediction results uncertain and limiting its practical applications. To address this issue, a graph neural network (GNN) model was developed to screen EEs, achieving accuracy rates of 88.

PBT assessment of chemicals detected in effluent of wastewater treatment plants by suspected screening analysis.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the major sources of contaminants discharged into downstream water bodies. Profiling the contaminants in effluent of WWTPs is crucial to assess the potential eco-risks toward downstream organisms. To this end, this study investigated the contaminants in effluent of 10 WWTPs locating in 10 cities of Yangtze River delta region of China by suspected screening analysis.

Enhanced degradation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater by coupled radical and non-radical pathways: Further unravelling kinetics and mechanism.

Advanced oxidation processes based on radicals and/or non-radical catalysis are emerging as promising technologies for eliminating pharmaceuticals (PhACs) from wastewater. However, the respective contributions of different removal pathways (radicals or non-radical) for PhAC degradation still lacks quantitative investigation. Zero-valent iron and carbon nanotubes are frequently used to generate both radicals and non-radical species via the activation of persulfate (Fe/SWCNT/PDS).

Revealing specific transformation pattern of sulfonamides during wastewater biological treatment processes by molecular networking nontarget screening.

Biotransformation of emerging contaminants (ECs) is of importance in various natural and engineered systems to eliminate the adverse effects of ECs toward organisms. In wastewater, structurally similar ECs may transform through similar reactions triggered by common enzymes. However, the transformation pattern for them was scarcely studied.

Nontarget screening based on molecular networking strategy to identify transformation products of citalopram and sertraline in wastewater.

Citalopram (CIT) and sertraline (SER) are highly consumed antidepressants worldwide and have been extensively detected in wastewater. Due to the incomplete mineralization, transformation products (TPs) of them can be detected in wastewater. Comparing with parent compounds, knowledge on TPs are limited.

Prediction of pharmaceuticals removal in activated sludge system under different operational parameters using an extended ASM-PhACs model.

Removal of pharmaceuticals is essential in wastewater treatment systems due to their release and accumulation in the environment, which are raising issues for the environment and human health. A mathematical model could be used to predict pharmaceuticals removal under various operational parameters and assess the contributions of different removal pathways to pharmaceuticals removal. Here an ASM-PhACs model was established to describe pharmaceuticals removal including diclofenac (DCF), erythromycin (ERY), gemfibrozil (GEM) and carbamazepine (CBZ) removal in activated sludge system.

Occurrence and removal of four artificial sweeteners in wastewater treatment plants of China.

Artificial sweeteners discharged into aquatic environments have raised concern because of their ubiquitous occurrence and potential biological effect. And some of them, such as sucralose (SUC) and acesulfame (ACE), have been identified as emerging contaminants. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered as important sources and sinks of artificial sweeteners discharged into the environment.

Fate of progesterone and norgestrel in anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A/A/O) process: Insights from biotransformation and mass flow.

Progesterone (P4) and norgestrel (NGT) are two steroid progestogens that can pose adverse effects on aquatic organisms at ng/L levels. Despite increasing concern on their occurrence and removal in wastewater, their fate in the wastewater treatment process has not been well documented. This study identified the transformation products (TPs) of P4 and NGT in anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A/A/O) process.

Spatiotemporal variation and removal of selected endocrine-disrupting chemicals in wastewater treatment plants across China: Treatment process comparison.

In this study, the spatiotemporal variation in the occurrence of 19 endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) spanning four seasons in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in 17 Chinese cities was investigated. Removal efficiencies for selected EDCs in 17 WWTPs over four seasons were analyzed. Contributions of conventional and advanced process segments to the removal efficiency of EDCs were explored, which compared the removal efficacies of a variety of secondary and advanced processes for EDCs.

Insight into the effect of wastewater-derived dissolved organic matter composition on norgestrel degradation in activated sludge: Coupled bacterial community and molecular characteristics.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) mediates the microbial transformation of micropollutants, including norgestrel (NGT) in natural waters. However, little is known of the effect of complex and variable wastewater-derived DOM composition on NGT degradation during wastewater treatment. In this study, the relationship between the compositions of initial DOM and NGT removal efficiencies of 17 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in spring and summer were analyzed.

Effects of DOM characteristics from real wastewater on the degradation of pharmaceutically active compounds by the UV/HO process.

The characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) can significantly affect the degradation of target compounds by the advanced oxidation processes. In this study, the effects of the different hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity fractions, molecular weight (MW) fractions, fluorescence components and molecular components of DOM extracted from municipal wastewater on the degradation of 4 pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), including carbamazepine, clofibric acid, atenolol and erythromycin by the UV/HO process were investigated. The results showed that the degradation rate constants of 4 PhACs decreased dramatically in the presence of DOM.

Occurrence and removal of progestogens from wastewater treatment plants in China: Spatiotemporal variation and process comparison.

This study investigated the overall occurrence and spatiotemporal variation of 19 progestogens in 608 samples collected from 17 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) distributed across China during four seasons. The aqueous removal efficiencies of progestogens were calculated and the efficacies of process segments, secondary and advanced processes, and process units in the removal of progestogens were explored. The results indicated that progestogens were widely detected in investigating WWTPs, with the progesterone, dydrogesterone, dienogest, ethisterone, and norethindrone were always dominant in the influent, secondary effluent, final effluent, and excess sludge.

Performance evaluation and mechanism of nitrogen removal in a packed bed reactor using micromagnetic carriers at different carbon to nitrogen ratios.

Advanced nitrogen removal of effluent discharged from secondary treatment systems can avoid eutrophication. However, the lack of biodegradable organics limits biodenitrification. Packed bed reactors filled with carriers with different micromagnetic field (MMF) strengths were used to perform tertiary denitrification.

Metagenomic insights into the "window" effect of static magnetic field on nitrous oxide emission from biological nitrogen removal process at low temperature.

This study aimed to explore whether the "window" effect of static magnetic field (SMF) on nitrous oxide (NO) emission from the biological nitrogen removal process at low temperature existed and reveal its biological mechanism at the gene level. Four sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with SMFs of 0, 10, 45, and 75 mT were operated continuously for 110 days at 10 °C and the lowest NO-Gas cumulative emission (5.50 mg N/day) and NO conversion rate (4.

Microbial Roles in Dissolved Organic Matter Transformation in Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Processes Revealed by Reactomics and Comparative Genomics.

Understanding the degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is vital for optimizing DOM control. However, the microbe-mediated DOM transformation during wastewater treatment remains poorly characterized. Here, microbes and DOM along full-scale biotreatment processes were simultaneously characterized using comparative genomics and high-resolution mass spectrometry-based reactomics.

Mechanism and toxicity evaluation of catalytic ozonation over Cu/Ce-AlO system aiming at degradation of humic acid in real wastewater.

Humic acid (HA) is the main component of organic matter in effluent from wastewater treatment. The effective removal of HA is significant. In this study, a novel catalyst was prepared using a transition metal oxide as the active component and AlO as a granular carrier.

Compositional characteristics of dissolved organic matter in pharmaceutical wastewater effluent during ozonation.

The compositional characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in pharmaceutical wastewater effluent can affect the further improvement and application of the ozone treatment process. The present study investigated the changes of chemical structures, molecular weight (MW) distribution, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity distribution, fluorescence properties and the molecular composition of DOM in pharmaceutical wastewater effluent during ozonation. Besides, the toxicity change of pharmaceutical wastewater effluent during ozonation was estimated.