Integrating biocatalysis with nanophotocatalysis provides a promising pathway to address the knotty environmental and energy problems. However, energy loss during the transfer of extracellular electrons across the nano-bio interface seriously limits the efficiency of whole-cell-based photobiocatalytic systems. Herein, we demonstrate an integrated multienergy codriven reaction platform containing BaTiO nanoparticles (BTO) for harvesting mechanical energy from flowing water to elevate the interfacial electric field, BiVO quantum dots (BQD) for harvesting light energy to generate photocarriers, and () for accepting photoelectrons to accomplish the biocatalytic reactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnderstanding the intricacies of nitrogen reduction processes and the composition of associated microbial communities is crucial for illuminating the reactions of ecosystems and their functions to persistent nitrogen inputs. To enhance research on the nitrogen reduction process, we determined the potential rates, quantified the relevant genes, and analyzed the macro factors in the sediments of the Yangtze River. The results showed that dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to ammonium (DNRA) dominated the N-reduction processes in the Yangtze River sediment, with average rates of 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFreshwater plants are threatened by microplastics (MPs). While many studies have reported the effects of MPs on aquatic plants and animals, few have examined the effects of MPs on plant metabolism at different light intensities. We explore cellular, metabolic, and stress responses of Vallisneria natans at different light intensities (0, 20, 90, 160, 280 μmol·m·s), without and with (50 mg·L) MPs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPulsatile ion transport facilitates the adjusted transfer of substances, meeting the requirements for the gradient and timed separation of multiple components in membrane processes. Responsive nanofiltration membranes are thus currently receiving widespread attention but face limitations due to their narrow performance adjustment range. Herein, hydroxyl functional groups were introduced into electrically responsive nanofiltration membranes to broaden the adjustment range of separation performance through a combination of pore size sieving and functional group interactions, resulting in a greater change in rejection and flux compared to the original membrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe antibiotic resistance crisis, fueled by misuse and bacterial evolution, is a major global health threat. Traditional perspectives tie resistance to drug target mechanisms, viewing antibiotics as mere growth inhibitors. New insights revealed that low-dose antibiotics may also serve as signals, unexpectedly promoting bacterial growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of metal resistance on nitrogen metabolism function and community resilience against Cd is important for elucidating the evolutionary dynamics of key ecological functions in river ecosystems. In this study, the response of nitrogen transforming function to Cd exposure in river sediments from the Yangtze River Basin with varying levels of heavy metal contamination history (Cd-contaminated and Cd-free sediments) was compared to understand how Cd influenced nitrogen metabolism under varying metal resistance conditions. The results showed that chronic and persistent Cd pollution of sediments caused an elevation of transport efflux metal resistance genes (MRGs) and a reduction in the uptake MRGs, leading to a stronger tolerance to Cd for Cd-contaminated sediment than Cd-free ones.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeat stress disturbs cellular homeostasis and alters the fitness of individual organisms. However, it is unclear whether thermal perturbations exacerbate the toxic effects of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) on trophic endpoints in freshwater ecosystems. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to investigate the impact of warming and PFASs on the widespread submerged macrophytes (Hydrilla verticillata) at a molecular level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSolar water evaporation (SWE) has emerged as an appealing method for water and salt recovery from hypersaline wastewater. However, different ions usually transfer and accumulate uncontrollably during ion-water separation, making salt fractionalization impractical for conventional SWE, and the resulting mixed salts are hard to use and still require significant costs for disposal. To achieve salt fractionalization and reutilization, achieving ion-water and ion-ion separation simultaneously are crucial in advancing SWE toward sustainability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobial community coalescence is a ubiquitous ecological process in various ecosystems. However, limited research has addressed the effects of the coalescence on microbial ecological processes and network structure, particularly in the context of sewage discharge during high amplitude hydrological periods. Employing 16S rRNA sequencing and species source tracking analysis, we investigated the coalescence pattern of bacterioplankton in the Chishui river and sewage across various hydrological periods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe sustainable development strategy shifts water treatment from pollution removal to resource recovery. Here, an electrochemical resource-recovery anaerobic membrane bioreactor (eRAnMBR) that employed a magnesium plate and conductive membrane as dual anodes is presented and shows excellent performance in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus recovery, as well as 95% membrane anti-fouling. The Mg released alters the physicochemical properties of sludge, unblocking the cake layer, and recovers ammonium and phosphate, yielding 60.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSemi-artificial photosynthetic system (SAPS) that combines enzymes or cellular organisms with light-absorbing semiconductors, has emerged as an attractive approach for nitrogen conversion, yet faces the challenge of reaction pathway regulation. Herein, we find that photoelectrons can transfer from the -C≡N groups at the edge of cyano-rich carbon nitride (g-CN-CN) to nitrate reductase (NarGH), while the direct electron transfer to nitrite reductase (cdNiR) is inhibited due to the physiological distance limit of active sites (>14 Å). By means of the directional electron transfer between g-CN-CN and extracted biological enzymes, the product of the denitrification reaction was switched from inert N to usable nitrite with an unprecedented selectivity of up to 95.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecovering chemical energy embedded in pollutants is significant in achieving carbon-neutral industrial wastewater treatment. Considering that industrial wastewater is usually treated in a decentralized manner, utilization of chemical energy to achieve waste-to-treasure should be given priority. Herein, the chemical energy released by the electroreduction of Cr(VI) was used to enhance on-site HO generation in a stacked flow-through electrochemical system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
November 2024
Dams, constructed globally for energy production and water conservation, fragment rivers, and modify flow regimes, thereby altering the composition of biological communities and ecosystem functions. Despite the extensive use of dams, few studies have explored their potential health impacts, particularly concerning changes in health-related genes, such as antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs), and their hosts (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProducing HO through a selective, two-electron (2e) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is challenging, especially when it serves as an advanced oxidation process (AOP) for cost-effective water decontamination. Herein, we attain a 2e-selectivity HO production using a carbon nanotube electrified membrane with ibuprofen (IBU) molecules laden (IBU@CNT-EM) in an ultrafast, single-pass electrofiltration process. The IBU@CNT-EM can generate HO at a rate of 25.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSubmerged macrophytes remediation is a commonly used technique for improving water quality and restoring habitat in aquatic ecosystems. However, the drivers of success in the submerged macrophytes assembly process and their specific impacts on methane emissions are poorly understood. Thus, we conducted a mesocosm experiment to test the growth plasticity and carbon fixation of widespread submerged macrophytes (Vallisneria natans) under different nutrient conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUniversal and equitable access to affordable safely managed drinking water (SMDW) is a significant challenge and is highlighted by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals-6.1. However, SMDW coverage by 2030 is estimated to reach only 81% of the global population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSynthetic membranes featuring confined nanostructures have emerged as a prominent category of leading materials that can selectively separate target ions from complex water matrices. Further advancements in these membranes will pressingly rely on the ability to elucidate the inherent connection between transmembrane ion permeation behaviors and the ion-selective nanostructures. In this review, we first abstract state-of-the-art nanostructures with a diversity of spatial confinements in current synthetic membranes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Yangtze River Basin is an important area for organophosphate esters (OPEs) consumption and emission. Studies proved high OPE detection in Yangtze River water, but there is limited information about the spatiotemporal distribution and transport flux of OPEs in sediment. The present study investigated 16 OPEs in sediment from upstream to mid-downstream of the Yangtze River.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe potential ecological risk of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in phytoremediation has raised social concerns, promoting a need to better understand their distribution and risks in the recovery process of aquatic plants. Herein, we aim to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the distribution and ecotoxicological effects of PFASs on the structure and function of water-macrophyte-sediment microcosm systems. Among the entire system, 63.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobial manganese (Mn) oxidation, predominantly occurs within the anaerobic-aerobic interfaces, plays an important role in environmental pollution remediation. The anaerobic-aerobic transition zones, notably riparian and lakeside zones, are hotspots for algae-bacteria interactions. Here, we adopted a Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium Pseudomonas sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHarnessing bacteria for superoxide production in bioremediation holds immense promise, yet its practical application is hindered by slow production rates and the relatively weak redox potential of superoxide. This study delves into a cost-effective approach to amplify superoxide production using an Arthrobacter strain, a prevalent soil bacterial genus. Our research reveals that introducing a carbon source along with specific iron-binding ligands, including deferoxamine (DFO), diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA), citrate, and oxalate, robustly augments microbial superoxide generation.
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