Elevated Toxicity and High-Risk Impacts of Small Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Clusters on Microbes Compared to Large Clusters.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread contaminants that can accumulate in microorganisms, posing significant ecological risks. While previous studies primarily focused on PAH concentrations, the impacts of PAH self-clustering have been largely overlooked, which will lead to inaccurate assessments of their ecological risks. This study evaluates the toxic effects of four prevalent PAH clusters on microbes with an emphasis on comparing the cluster sizes.

Biodegradation of untreated plasticizers-free linear low-density polyethylene films by marine bacteria.

Polyethylene significantly contributes to marine plastic pollution. This study focuses on isolating bacteria from sea water and microplastic samples collected from the Tyrrhenian Sea and evaluating their ability to degrade virgin plasticizers-free linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) films. The isolates grew on the plastic film under aerobic conditions in shaken flasks leading to LLDPE mass losses of up to 2.

Emerging contaminants: A One Health perspective.

Environmental pollution is escalating due to rapid global development that often prioritizes human needs over planetary health. Despite global efforts to mitigate legacy pollutants, the continuous introduction of new substances remains a major threat to both people and the planet. In response, global initiatives are focusing on risk assessment and regulation of emerging contaminants, as demonstrated by the ongoing efforts to establish the UN's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution Prevention.

Maize ( L.) Plants Alter the Fate and Accumulate Nonextractable Residues of Sulfamethoxazole in Farmland Soil.

The fate of sulfonamide antibiotics in farmlands is crucial for food and ecological safety, yet it remains unclear. We used [phenyl-U-C]-labeled sulfamethoxazole (C-SMX) to quantitatively investigate the fate of SMX in a soil-maize system for 60 days, based on a six-pool fate model. Formation of nonextractable residues (NERs) was the predominant fate for SMX in unplanted soil, accompanied by minor mineralization.

Pollutant profile complexity governs wastewater removal of recalcitrant pharmaceuticals.

Organic pollutants are an increasing threat for wildlife and humans. Managing their removal is however complicated by the difficulties in predicting degradation rates. In this work, we demonstrate that the complexity of the pollutant profile, the set of co-existing contaminants, is a major driver of biodegradation in wastewater.

The sulfonamide-resistance dihydropteroate synthase gene is crucial for efficient biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole by Paenarthrobacter species.

Sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) are serious pollutants to ecosystems and environments. Previous studies showed that microbial degradation of SAs such as sulfamethoxazole (SMX) proceeds via a sad-encoded oxidative pathway, while the sulfonamide-resistant dihydropteroate synthase gene, sul, is responsible for SA resistance. However, the co-occurrence of sad and sul genes, as well as how the sul gene affects SMX degradation, was not explored.

Analyzing microbial communities and their biodegradation of multiple pharmaceuticals in membrane bioreactors.

Pharmaceuticals are of concern to our planet and health as they can accumulate in the environment. The impact of these biologically active compounds on ecosystems is hard to predict, and information on their biodegradation is necessary to establish sound risk assessment. Microbial communities are promising candidates for the biodegradation of pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, but little is known yet about their degradation capacity of multiple micropollutants at higher concentrations (100 mg/L).

Direct ammonium oxidation to nitrogen gas (Dirammox) in strain HO-1: The electrode role.

It has been recently suggested that use a previously unknown pathway to convert ammonium into dinitrogen gas (Dirammox) via hydroxylamine (NHOH). This fact alone already implies a significant decrease in the aeration requirements for the process, but the process would still be dependent on external aeration. This work studied the potential use of a polarised electrode as an electron acceptor for ammonium oxidation using the recently described strain HO-1 as a model heterotrophic nitrifier.

Soil microbiomes divergently respond to heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in contaminated industrial sites.

Contaminated sites from electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling and coking plants feature high concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) and/or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil. Mixed contamination (HMs + PAHs) hinders land reclamation and affects the microbial diversity and function of soil microbiomes. In this study, we analyzed HM and PAH contamination from an e-waste dismantling plant and a coking plant and evaluated the influences of HM and PAH contamination on soil microbiomes.

Assessing the Biodegradation of BTEX and Stress Response in a Bio-Permeable Reactive Barrier Using Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis.

By using compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) in combination with high-throughput sequencing analysis (HTS), we successfully evaluated the benzene and toluene biodegradation in a bio-permeable reactive barrier (bio-PRB) and the stress response of the microbial community. Under stress conditions, a greater decline in the biodegradation rate of BTEX was observed compared with the apparent removal rate. Both an increase in the influent concentration and the addition of trichloroethylene (TCE) inhibited benzene biodegradation, while toluene biodegradation was inhibited by TCE.

Synthesis of typical sulfonamide antibiotics with [C]- and [C]-labeling on the phenyl ring for use in environmental studies.

Background: Due to their widespread use, sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants and thus a cause of public concern. However, a complete understanding of the behavior of these pollutants in complex environmental systems has been hampered by the unavailability and high cost of isotopically labeled SAs.

Results: Using commercially available uniformly [C]- and [C]-labeled aniline as starting materials, we synthesized [phenyl-ring-C]- and [phenyl-ring-C]-labeled sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfamonomethoxine (SMM), and sulfadiazine (SDZ) in four-step (via the condensation of labeled -acetylsulfanilyl chloride and aminoheterocycles) or five-step (via the condensation of labeled -acetylsulfonamide and chloroheterocycles) reactions, with good yields (5.

[Insights into the applications of 3D bioprinting for bioremediation technologies].

A plethora of organic pollutants such as pesticides, polycyclic and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, and emerging pollutants, such as flame retardants, is continuously being released into the environment. This poses a huge threat to the society in terms of environmental pollution, agricultural product quality, and general safety. Therefore, effective removal of organic pollutants from the environment has become an important challenge to be addressed.

[ELECTRA: electricity-driven low energy and chemical input technology for accelerated bioremediation].

The international cooperation project "electricity-driven low energy and chemical input technology for accelerated bioremediation" (abridged as "ELECTRA") is jointly supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and European Commission (EC). The ELECTRA consortium consists of 5 research institutions and universities from China and 17 European research institutions and universities, as well as high-tech companies of EC countries. ELECTRA focuses on researches of biodegradation of emerging organic compounds (EOCs) and novel environmental biotechnologies of low-energy and low-chemical inputs.

[Environmental scientists & microbiologists from China & EU: take the responsibility to cherish the Earth homeland].

Humanity shares the common interest to protect the environment and to maintain a healthy global ecosystem. International collaboration is key in this context, to advance the necessary science and technology. The National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and European Commission (EC) have agreed to collaborate in innovative knowledge and technology in the field of bioremediation of polluted environments and biodegradation of plastics.

Immobilisation and stabilisation of glycosylated enzymes on boronic acid-functionalised silica nanoparticles.

We report a method of glycosylated enzymes' surface immobilisation and stabilisation. The enzyme is immobilised at the surface of silica nanoparticles through the reversible covalent binding of vicinal diols of the enzyme glycans with a surface-attached boronate derivative. A soft organosilica layer of controlled thickness is grown at the silica surface, entrapping the enzyme and thus avoiding enzyme leaching.

Long-Term Field Study on Fate, Transformation, and Vertical Transport of Tetrabromobisphenol A in Soil-Plant Systems.

Soil contamination with tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) has been an environmental concern for many years, but studies of the fate and potential risk of TBBPA are lacking. In this study, we investigated the dissipation, metabolism, strong alkali-hydrolytic (SAH-TBBPA), and vertical movement of TBBPA in the field with and without rice-wheat rotation and reed growth for 1225 days. After 342 days of incubation, 21.

Microbial Interactions Drive the Complete Catabolism of the Antibiotic Sulfamethoxazole in Activated Sludge Microbiomes.

Microbial communities are believed to outperform monocultures in the complete catabolism of organic pollutants via reduced metabolic burden and increased robustness to environmental challenges; however, the interaction mechanism in functional microbiomes remains poorly understood. Here, three functionally differentiated activated sludge microbiomes (S1: complete catabolism of sulfamethoxazole (SMX); S2: complete catabolism of the phenyl part of SMX ([phenyl]-SMX) with stable accumulation of its heterocyclic product 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole (3A5MI); A: complete catabolism of 3A5MI rather than [phenyl]-SMX) were enriched. Combining time-series cultivation-independent microbial community analysis, DNA-stable isotope probing, molecular ecological network analysis, and cultivation-dependent function verification, we identified key players involved in the SMX degradation process.

A proteolytic nanobiocatalyst with built-in disulphide reducing properties.

We report a method to equip proteolytic nanobiocatalysts with intrinsic disulphide bond reducing properties. After immobilisation onto silica particles, selected protease enzymes are partially shielded in a nanometre-thick mercaptosilica layer acting not only as a protective system but also as a substrate reducing agent. The biocatalysts produced efficiently perform simultaneous disulphide bond reduction and protein digestion.

Tuning the Properties of Natural Promiscuous Enzymes by Engineering Their Nano-environment.

Owing to their outstanding catalytic properties, enzymes represent powerful tools for carrying out a wide range of (bio)chemical transformations with high proficiency. In this context, enzymes with high biocatalytic promiscuity are somewhat neglected. Here, we demonstrate that a meticulous modification of a synthetic shell that surrounds an immobilized enzyme possessing broad substrate specificity allows the resulting nanobiocatalyst to be endowed with enantioselective properties while maintaining a high level of substrate promiscuity.

Living with sulfonamides: a diverse range of mechanisms observed in bacteria.

Sulfonamides are the oldest class of synthetic antibiotics still in use in clinical and veterinary settings. The intensive utilization of sulfonamides has been leading to the widespread contamination of the environment with these xenobiotic compounds. Consequently, in addition to pathogens and commensals, also bacteria inhabiting a wide diversity of environmental compartments have been in contact with sulfonamides for almost 90 years.

Transformation of catechol coupled to redox alteration of humic acids and the effects of Cu and Fe cations.

Humic substances are reactive during redox alteration. However, the role of this reactivity in the transformation of organic compounds and in carbon cycling in the environment is still unclear. Here, we used C-radioactive tracer to study abiotic transformation and humification of catechol, a representative of naturally occurring monomeric phenols and phenolic pollutants, in suspensions of humic acids (HAs) at original and H/Pd-reduced redox states with flux of air (HA-Air and HA-Air, respectively) or N (HA-N and HA-N, respectively) for 20 min in absence and presence of Cu(II) and Fe(II).

Subsistence and complexity of antimicrobial resistance on a community-wide level.

There are a multitude of resistance strategies that microbes can apply to avoid inhibition by antimicrobials. One of these strategies is the enzymatic modification of the antibiotic, in a process generally termed inactivation. Furthermore, some microorganisms may not be limited to the mere inactivation of the antimicrobial compounds.

Partially shielded enzymes capable of processing large protein substrates.

We report the first method of enzyme protection enabling the production of partially shielded enzymes capable of processing substrates as large as proteins. We show that partially shielded sortase retains its transpeptidase activity and can perform bioconjugation reactions on antibodies. Moreover, a partially shielded trypsin is shown to outperform its soluble counterpart in terms of proteolytic kinetics.

Accumulation and Transformation of 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabrominated Diphenyl Ether (BDE47) by the Earthworm Metaphire vulgaris in Soil.

The accumulation and transformation of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE47), one congener of the flame retardants polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in soil-feeding fauna are still unknown. Using radioactivity tracer, we incubated C-labelled BDE47 in soil for 21 days in the presence and absence of the geophagous earthworm Metaphire vulgaris. BDE47 accumulated in the earthworm predominantly via oral ingestion of soil, giving a biota-soil accumulation factor (BSAF) value of 1.