Rapid enrichment of anaerobic ammonia oxidation bacteria by combining low nitrogen strength with microbial viability.

The rapid enrichment of anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) bacteria (AnAOB) is challenging owing to their slow growth rate. Substrate supply strategies influence the AnAOB yield and anammox performance. In this study, a feeding strategy for low nitrogen strength with constant substrate concentrations and a hydraulic retention time decreasing over a gradient was investigated in an up-flow sludge blanket reactor.

Assessment of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from urban community sewer networks: Field quantification and insights into environmental factors.

Sewer networks are essential components of urban infrastructure, yet their contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remains poorly understood. In this study, we deployed a new approach of measurements to assess methane (CH) and nitrous oxide (NO) emissions across an urban sewer network, which spans 4769.43 m and receives about 750 m of domestic sewage per day.

Profiling and metabolic analysis of microorganisms in bioretention cells vegetated with vetiver and cattail species treating nitrogen and phosphorous.

Bioretention cells (BRCs) are increasingly used to treat nutrients in stormwater runoff, with plants known to enhance nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) uptake. This study investigated the role of rhizosphere microbial communities in TN, TP, and COD removal across three BRCs: an unvegetated control (CP), one vegetated with vetiver (P1), and another with cattail (P2). Detailed microbiome profiling revealed key taxa across phylum, family, and genus levels contributing to nutrient cycling, with P2 showing the highest species richness and diversity based on OTU counts and diversity indices.

Antibiotic resistance evolution driven synergistically by antibiotics and typical organic pollutants in antibiotic production wastewater.

A major concern regarding the risk of antibiotic production wastewater (APW) for the transmission of antibiotic resistance (AR) stems from the residual antibiotics. However, APW also contains high concentrations of organic pollutants, many of which have severe biological toxicity and joint toxicity with antibiotics. The contribution of these organic pollutants to the development of AR in the APW treatment system is unknown.

Distribution characteristics and relationship of microplastics, phthalate esters, and bisphenol A in the Beiyun River basin of Beijing.

Urban rivers are closely related to human life, and due to the widespread use of plastic products, rivers have become important carriers of pollutants such as microplastics (MP), phthalate esters (PAEs), and bisphenol A (BPA). However, our understanding of the distribution characteristics and relationships of MP, PAEs, and BPA in rivers is limited. In this study, MP, six PAEs and BPA were detected in the water and sediments of the Beiyun River basin.

The role of plant uptake in total phosphorous and total nitrogen removal in vegetated bioretention cells using vetiver and cattail.

Bioretention cells have emerged as a prominent strategy for mitigating pollutant loads within urban stormwater runoff. This study delves into the role of plant uptake in the simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds within these systems. Three bioretention cells-CP, P1, and P2-were constructed using local soil, C33 sand, and gravel.

Antibiotic intermediates and antibiotics synergistically promote the development of multiple antibiotic resistance in antibiotic production wastewater.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a major public health concern. Antibiotic intermediates (AIs) used in the production of semisynthetic antibiotics have the same bioactive structure as parent antibiotics and synthetic antibiotic production wastewater usually contains high concentrations of residual AIs; however, the effects of AIs and their interactive effects with antibiotics on the emergence of AR are unknown. In this study, antibiotic-sensitive E.

[Research Progress on Production and Emission of CH and NO from Urban Rivers].

Methane （CH） and nitrous oxide （NO） are concerning greenhouse gases. Urban rivers have been important emission sources of CH and NO in recent years. It is meaningful for city greenhouse gas reduction to provide a systematic analysis of spatiotemporal characteristics, mechanisms, and influencing factors of the production and emission of CH and NO from urban rivers.

The difference between tire wear particles and polyethylene microplastics in stormwater filtration systems: Perspectives from aging process, conventional pollutants removal and microbial communities.

Tire wear particles (TWPs) in stormwater runoff have been widely detected and were generally classified into microplastics (MPs). TWPs and conventional MPs can be intercepted and accumulated in stormwater filtration systems, but their impacts on filtration, adsorption and microbial degradation processes of conventional pollutants (organic matters, nitrate and ammonium) have not been clarified. TWPs are different from MPs in surface feature, chemical components, adsorption ability and leaching of additives, which might lead to their different impacts on conventional pollutants removal.

Exploring polystyrene weathering behavior: From surface traits to micro(nano)plastics and additives release.

Plastic weathering in the natural environment is a dynamic and complex process, where the release of microplastics, nanoplastics and additives poses potential threats to ecosystems. Understanding the release of different weathering products from plastics is crucial for predicting and assessing the environmental hazards of plastics. This study systematically explored these phenomena by exposing polystyrene (PS) to UV irradiation and mechanical agitation for different durations (1 day, 5 days, 10 days, 20 days).

The effects of graphene on low-temperature anammox process: The insights from short-term tests and long-term operation.

Effluent quality deterioration caused by seasonal low temperature is a great challenge to the application of anammox technology. Here, the effects of different graphene materials on anammox process were investigated under both optimal temperature and low-temperature. The batch tests showed that at 30 °C, 300 mg/L of reduced graphene oxide‑sodium alginate gel (RGOSA) had the most significant promoting effect, reaching nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) and nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of 95 % and 8.

A combined evaluation of the characteristics and antibiotic resistance induction potential of antibiotic wastewater during the treatment process.

Antibiotic wastewater contains a variety of pollutant stressors that can induce and promote antibiotic resistance (AR) when released into the environment. Although these substances are mostly in concentrations lower than those known to induce AR individually, it is possible that antibiotic wastewater discharge might still promote the AR transmission risk via additive or synergistic effects. However, the comprehensive effect of antibiotic wastewater on AR development has rarely been evaluated, and its treatment efficiency remains unknown.

A biological strategy for sulfide control in sewers: Removing sulfide by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.

Sulfide produced from sewers is considered one of the dominant threats to public health and sewer lifespan due to its toxicity and corrosiveness. In this study, we developed an environmentally friendly strategy for gaseous sulfide control by enriching indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) from sewer sediment. Ceramics acted as bio-carriers for immobilizing SOB for practical use in a lab-scale sewer reactor.

Enhanced denitrification of the AO-MBBR system used for expressway service area sewage treatment: A new perspective on decentralized wastewater treatment.

Decentralized wastewater treatment warrants considerable development in numerous countries and regions. Owing to the unique characteristics of high ammonia nitrogen concentrations and low carbon/nitrogen ratio, nitrogen removal is a key challenge in treating expressway service area sewage. In this study, an anoxic/oxic-moving bed biofilm reactor (A/O-MBBR) and a traditional A/O bioreactor were continuously operated for 115 days and their outcomes were compared to investigate the enhancement effect of carriers on the total nitrogen removal (TN) for expressway service area sewage.

Naturally aged polylactic acid microplastics stunted pakchoi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) growth with cadmium in soil.

Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) and cadmium (Cd) are posing threats to agro-systems especially to plants and current studies mostly used virgin BMPs to explore their ecological effects. However, effects of naturally aged BMPs and their combined effects with Cd on pakchoi are yet to be unraveled. Therefore, this study incubated naturally aged polylactic acid (PLA) MPs through soil aging process and investigated the single and combined effects of Cd and PLA MPs (virgin and aged) on pakchoi (Brassica rapa subsp.

Revealing impacts of operational modes on anaerobic digestion systems coupling with sulfate reduction.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is promising for treating high-strength wastewater. However, the effect of operational parameters on microbial communities of AD with sulfate is not yet fully understood. To explore this, four reactors were operated under rapid- and slow-filling modes with different organic carbons.

Stimulating anaerobic digestion to degrade recalcitrant organic pollutants: Potential role of conductive materials-led direct interspecies electron transfer.

This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential of CMs-dominated DIET in the degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants in AD. The review covers the mechanisms and efficiencies of recalcitrant organic pollutant degradation by CMs-dominated DIET, the comparison of degradation pathways between DIET and chemical treatment, recent insights on DIET-enhanced degradation, and the evaluation of the potential and future development of CMs-dominated DIET. The review emphasizes the importance of coupled syntrophic microorganisms, electron flux, and physicochemical properties of CMs in enhancing the degradation performance of AD.

Non-uniform dissolved oxygen distribution and high sludge concentration enhance simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in a novel air-lifting reactor for municipal wastewater treatment: A pilot-scale study.

Achieving simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal with sludge-liquid separation in a single reactor offers a solution to land shortages and improves treatment efficiency in municipal wastewater treatment plants of megacities. This study proposes a novel air-lifting continuous-flow reactor configuration with an alternative-aeration strategy that creates multi-functional zones for anoxic, oxic, and settlement processes. The optimal operating conditions for the reactor include a long anoxic hydraulic retention time, low dissolved oxygen (DO) in the oxic zone, and no specific reflux for external nitrifying liquid, which exhibit a high nitrogen removal efficiency of over 90% in treating real sewage with C/N < 4 in the pilot-scale study.

Microbial community and antibiotic resistance gene distribution in food waste, anaerobic digestate, and paddy soil.

The study assessed the occurrence and distribution of microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in food waste, anaerobic digestate, and paddy soil samples, and revealed the potential hosts of ARGs and factors influencing their distribution. A total of 24 bacterial phyla were identified, of which 16 were shared by all samples, with Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria accounting for 65.9-92.

Performance and mechanisms of medium-chain fatty acid production by anaerobic fermentation of food waste without external electron donors.

This study performed a long-term operation to achieve efficient medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) production by anaerobic fermentation of food waste without external electron donors. The results show that total MCFAs reached the highest concentration of 29,886.10 mg COD/L, and n-caproate was the primary product, reaching the current maximum concentration of 28,191.

Characteristics of antibiotic resistance gene distribution in rainfall runoff and combined sewer overflow.

Rainfall runoff and combined sewer overflow (CSO) converge with organic waste, nutrients, and microbes from the ground and wastewater. These pollutants promote the spread and transformation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, four rainfall runoff and one CSO outfall were chosen, and samples were collected to explore the occurrence and distribution of ARGs.

Development, dilemma and potential strategies for the application of nanocatalysts in wastewater catalytic ozonation: A review.

With the continuous development of nanomaterials in recent years, the application of nanocatalysts in catalytic ozone oxidation has attracted more and more researchers' attention due to their excellent catalytic properties. In this review, we systematically summarized the current research status of nanocatalysts mainly involving material categories, mechanisms and catalytic efficiency. Based on summary and analysis, we found most of the reported nanocatalysts were in the stage of laboratory research, which was caused by the nanocatalysts defects such as easy aggregation, difficult separation, and easy leakage.

Development and characterizations of hydrogenotrophic denitrification granular process: Nitrogen removal capacity and adaptability.

Hydrogenotrophic denitrification (HD) is a promising autotrophic biological process for advanced nitrogen removal, while sludge granulation was seldom reported. This study aimed to cultivate granular sludge to improve capacity and stability of HD process. The resulting HD granular sludge performed high nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of 0.