The effect of ionic regulation on the structure of whey protein during ultrafiltration process and hydraulic reverse cleaning efficiency.

The effects of ionic regulation on the structure of membrane surface proteins and backwashing efficiency during ultrafiltration were investigated to reveal the mechanism of ionic mitigating membrane fouling. The repulsion between proteins and membrane was enhanced after ion regulation. With the extension of ultrafiltration time, the α-helix and random coil of membrane surface proteins were decreased, while the β-turn structure increased which was subjected to continuous regulation by Na, Zn and K at 4 min, 8 min and 12 min, respectively.

Which emerging micropollutants deserve more attention in wastewater in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period? Based on distribution, risk, and exposure analysis.

Aggravated accumulation of emerging micropollutants (EMs) in aquatic environments, especially after COVID-19, raised significant attention throughout the world for safety concerns. This article reviews the sources and occurrence of 25 anti-COVID-19 related EMs in wastewater. It should be pointed out that the concentration of anti-COVID-19 related EMs, such as antivirals, plasticizers, antimicrobials, and psychotropic drugs in wastewater increased notably after the pandemic.

Integrating HYDRUS-2D and Bayesian Networks for simulating long-term sludge land application: Uncovering heavy metal mobility and pollution risk in the soil-groundwater environment.

The release of sludge-derived heavy metals (HMs) to soil and their subsequent migration into groundwater poses a significant challenge for safe and low-carbon sludge land application. This study developed a predictive framework to simulate 60-year sludge land application, evaluating the risk of HMs pollution in the soil-groundwater environment and assessing the influence of soil and water properties. HYDRUS-2D simulations revealed that highly mobile Cu, Ni, and Zn penetrated a 10 m soil layer over a 60-year period, contributing to groundwater pollution.

Mechanistic insight into the aggregation ability of anammox microorganisms: Roles of polarity, composition and molecular structure of extracellular polymeric substances.

The chemical characteristics of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of anammox bacteria (AnAOB) play a crucial role in the rapid enrichment of AnAOB and the stable operation of wastewater anammox processes. To clarify the influential mechanisms of sludge EPS on AnAOB aggregation, multiple parameters, including the polarity distribution, composition, and molecular structure of EPS, were selected, and their quantitative relationship with AnAOB aggregation was analyzed. Compared to typical anaerobic sludge (anaerobic floc and granular sludge), the anammox sludge EPS exhibited higher levels of tryptophan-like substances (44.

Ionic regulation whey protein composition on membrane fouling during ultrafiltration process analyzed by HPLC.

In order to meet the market demand and avoid the increase of operation amount and cleaning cost in the process of ultrafiltration, it is particularly important to find more practical and efficient methods to control and improve membrane fouling. In this study, the ions in the ultrafiltration process were regulated to affect membrane surface proteins composition (lactoferrin, α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin A and β-lactoglobulin B) and delay membrane fouling. It was found that Na (21 mmol/L), Zn (0.

Effect and potential mechanisms of sludge-derived chromium, nickel, and lead on soil nitrification: Implications for sustainable land utilization of digested sludge.

Increasing occurrence of heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge threatens its widespread land utilization in China due to its potential impact on nutrient cycling in soil, requiring a better understanding of HM-induced impacts on nitrification. Herein, lab-scale experiments were conducted over 185-day, evaluating the effect of sludge-derived chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) on soil nitrification at different concentrations. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and linear regression results revealed an inhibitory sequence of gene abundance by HMs' labile fraction: ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)-ammonia monooxygenase (amoA)> nitrite oxidoreductase subunit alpha (nxrA)> nitrite oxidoreductase subunit beta (nxrB).

Extracellular polymeric substances-antibiotics interaction in activated sludge: A review.

Antibiotics, the most frequently prescribed drugs, have been widely applied to prevent or cure human and veterinary diseases and have undoubtedly led to massive releases into sewer networks and wastewater treatment systems, a hotspot where the occurrence and transformation of antibiotic resistance take place. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), biopolymers secreted via microbial activity, play an important role in cell adhesion, nutrient retention, and toxicity resistance. However, the potential roles of sludge EPS related to the resistance and removal of antibiotics are still unclear.

Calcium peroxide and freezing co-pretreatment enhancing short-chain fatty acids production from waste activated sludge towards carbon-neutral sludge treatment.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) recovery through anaerobic fermentation is a promising technology to achieve carbon-neutral in waste activated sludge (WAS) management. After 0.15 g CaO/g volatile suspended solids (VSS) addition and three-cycle freezing co-pretreatments, the maximal SCFAs production of 438.

The effect of ion environment changes on retention protein behavior during whey ultrafiltration process.

The factors affecting membrane fouling are very complex. In this study, the membrane fouling process was revealed from the perspective of ion environment changes, which affected the whey protein structure during ultrafiltration. It was found that the concentrations of Ca and Na were overall increased and the concentrations of K, Mg and Zn were decreased at an ultrafiltration time of 11 min, which made more hydrophilic groups buried inside and increased the content of α-helix, leading to more protein aggregation.

The effect of composite enzyme catalysis whey protein cross-linking on filtration performance.

In this study, enzymatic cross-linked whey protein coupling ultrafiltration was used to reduce membrane fouling and increase whey protein recovery rate. The filtration efficiency and protein interaction with the membrane surface were investigated. The results showed that the protein recovery rate and relative flux of transglutaminase catalysis protein followed by tyrosinase each increased by approximately 30% during ultrafiltration.

Removal trend of amoxicillin and tetracycline during groundwater recharging reusing: Redox sensitivity and microbial community response.

The abundant existence of antibiotics within the effluent of wastewater treatment plant seriously threatened their safety recharging. To investigate the fate and biodegradation of those toxic antibiotics within the soil aquifer system, typical antibiotics of amoxicillin (AMX) and tetracycline (TC) were selected and their removal mechanisms were investigated. Experimental results revealed that totally 93.

A review of bismuth-based photocatalysts for antibiotic degradation: Insight into the photocatalytic degradation performance, pathways and relevant mechanisms.

The intensive production and utilization of antibiotics worldwide has inevitably led to releases of very large amounts of these medicines into the environment, and numerous strategies have recently been developed to eliminate antibiotic pollution. Therefore, bismuth-based photocatalysts have attracted much attention due to their high adsorption of visible light and low production cost. This review summarizes the performance, degradation pathways and relevant mechanisms of typical antibiotics during bismuth-based photocatalytic degradation.

A Review Study on Sulfate-Radical-Based Advanced Oxidation Processes for Domestic/Industrial Wastewater Treatment: Degradation, Efficiency, and Mechanism.

High levels of toxic organic pollutants commonly detected during domestic/industrial wastewater treatment have been attracting research attention globally because they seriously threaten human health. Sulfate-radical-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) have been successfully used in wastewater treatment, such as that containing antibiotics, pesticides, and persistent organic pollutants, for refractory contaminant degradation. This review summarizes activation methods, including physical, chemical, and other coupling approaches, for efficient generation of sulfate radicals and evaluates their applications and economic feasibility.

Seasonal concentration distribution of PM1.0 and PM2.5 and a risk assessment of bound trace metals in Harbin, China: Effect of the species distribution of heavy metals and heat supply.

To clarify the potential carcinogenic/noncarcinogenic risk posed by particulate matter (PM) in Harbin, a city in China with the typical heat supply, the concentrations of PM and PM were analyzed from Nov. 2014 to Nov. 2015, and the compositions of heavy metals and water-soluble ions (WSIs) were determined.

Enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance with metal-doped BiWO for typical fluoroquinolones degradation: Efficiencies, pathways and mechanisms.

To clarify the photocatalytic mechanisms of metal-doped BiWO for fluoroquinolones (FQs) degradation, the effects of the chemical characteristics of four metals, molar ratios of the doped metals, morphology of the catalysts, and electrostatic interactions on the degradation of norfloxacin (NOR) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) were evaluated under visible light irradiation. Experimental results implied that the doping of Mg, Fe, Zn and Cu dramatically improved the photodegradation of BiWO for NOR and CIP removal, in which 1% Mg/BiWO exhibited the highest degradation rate of 89.44% for NOR and 99.

Adsorption behaviors of Cu, Zn and Cd onto proteins, humic acid, and polysaccharides extracted from sludge EPS: Sorption properties and mechanisms.

To clarify the adsorption behaviors of typical heavy metals onto sludge extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), the adsorption capacities and mechanisms, as well as the contributions of the different EPS components (proteins, humic acids and polysaccharides), to the adsorption of Zn, Cu and Cd were separately explored. Overall, proteins exhibited a relatively high adsorption capacity for the three metals ions, followed by humic acid, whereas least for polysaccharides. The adsorption of Cu and Cd onto proteins, humic acid and polysaccharides fit well to the Freundlich isotherm, whereas Langmuir model was the best fit for Zn bindings onto polysaccharides/humic acid.

Across-sectional study on anxiety and stress in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection in the People's Republic of China.

Purpose: To investigate the anxiety and pregnancy-associated stress of pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the People's Republic of China and analyze the relationship between anxiety and pregnancy-associated stress in the hope of finding ways to reduce the stress or improve the coping skills for these mothers-to-be during pregnancy.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. One hundred and sixty chronic HBV-infected pregnant women (HBV group) and 160 healthy pregnant women (control group) selected from three Peking University-affiliated hospitals participated in the study, and completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Pregnancy Stress Rating Scale (PSRS) survey.