Silver nanomaterials released from commercial textiles have minimal impacts on soil microbial communities at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Silver nanomaterials (Ag NMs) have been used in a variety of commercial products to take advantage of their antimicrobial properties. However, there are concerns that these AgNMs can be released during/after use and enter wastewater streams, potentially impacting aquatic systems or accumulating in wastewater biosolids. Biosolids, which are a residual of wastewater treatment processes, have been found to contain AgNMs and are frequently used as agricultural fertilizer.

Effect of plant species on water quality at the outlet of a sludge treatment wetland.

Sludge treatment wetlands are mainly used to reduce the volume of activated sludge, and the pollutants at the outlet are generally returned to the wastewater treatment plant. However, in cases where sludges are produced far from treatment plants not only must the sludge be treated, but the discharge of pollutants into the surrounding environment must also be limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of different plant species in optimising pollutant removal in a decentralised sludge treatment wetland.

Are ciliated protozoa communities affected by macrophyte species, date of sampling and location in horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetlands?

The effects of design and operational factors on the dynamics of ciliated protozoa in constructed wetlands (CWs) treating wastewater remain poorly known, although bacterivory by ciliates could have important implications for nutrient cycling in these systems. We conducted a greenhouse experiment with eight wetland mesocosms (1 m(2)) fed with synthetic wastewater to assess how macrophyte species (Phragmites australis, Phalaris arundinacea, and Typha angustifolia), location within CW (longitudinal, depth), and temporal fluctuations affect ciliate abundance and diversity. Urosoma similis was the most abundant taxon, but Hypotrichidae, Scuticociliates, Drepomonas revoluta, and Acineria uncinata were also abundant.