Tunisian landfill leachate treatment using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella</Emphasis> sp.: effective factors and microalgae strain performance

The potential of the autoclaved Tunisian landfill leachate treatment using microalgae (Chlorella sp.) cultivation was investigated in this study. Landfill leachate was collected from Borj Chakir landfill, Tunisia. A full factorial experimental design 2² was proposed to study the effects of the incubation time and leachate ratio factors on the organic matter removal expressed in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₄─N) and on the biological response of Chlorella sp. expressed by the cell density and chlorophyll content. All experiments were batch runs at ambient temperature (25 ± 2 °C). The Chlorella sp. biomass and chlorophyll a concentrations of 1.2 and 5.32 mg L^?1, respectively, were obtained with 10% leachate spike ratio. The obtained results showed that up to 90% of the ammoniacal nitrogen in landfill leachate was removed in 10% leachate ratio spiked medium with a residual concentration of 40 mg L^?1. The maximum COD removal rate reached 60% within 13 days of incubation time indicating that microalgae consortium was quite effective for treating landfill leachate organic contaminants. Furthermore, with the 10% leachate ratio spiked medium, the maximum lipid productivity was 4.74 mg L^?1 d^?1. The present study provides valuable information for potential adaptation of microalgae culture and its contribution for the treatment of Tunisian landfill leachate.     

Biodegradation of ortho-dimethyl phthalate by a binary culture of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Variovorax</Emphasis> sp. BS1 and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Achromobacter denitrificans</Emphasis>

Binary mixture of Variovorax sp. BS1 and Achromobacter denitrificans degraded >99 % of 300 mg l^?1 of ortho-dimethyl phthalate (DMP) within 24 h of incubation at 30 °C. Rate of degradation of DMP followed the order: A. denitrificans > binary mixture > Variovorax sp. BS1. Transient intermediate metabolites were not detected using HPLC analyses at any time points using Variovorax sp. BS1 and binary mixture. However, using pure culture of A. denitrificans, monomethyl phthalate was accumulated during the course of DMP biodegradation which disappeared with time of incubation. Binary mixture of Variovorax sp. BS1 and A. denitrificans exhibited better efficiency in terms of biodegradation of DMP as compared to either individual bacterial strain. In addition, fluorescence in situ hybridization technique was used to estimate the population dynamics of Variovorax sp. BS1 in binary mixture. A. denitrificans in mixed culture were estimated by subtracting total number of cells of Variovorax sp. BS1 from the total counts of microbial cells using an epifluorescence microscope after staining with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. Results obtained at mid-exponential growth phase suggested the abundance of both bacterial strains as primary degraders.     

Exploring the diverse potentials of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Planococcus</Emphasis> sp. TRC1 for the deconstruction of recalcitrant kraft lignin

Kraft lignin (KL) is the chief contaminant which is responsible for dark coloration, toxicity and high chemical oxygen demand (COD) of paper pulp mill effluent. The present study investigated the diverse potentials of Planococcus sp. TRC1 in the biodegradation of KL. Preliminary evaluation indicated that the strain was able to grow on broad spectrum of lignin-derived compounds, decolorize lignin-mimicking dyes and catabolize substrates of ligninolytic enzymes. Response surface methodology (RSM) was executed to perform the optimization of different process parameters. The results displayed that Planococcus sp. TRC1 could completely utilize 100 mg L^?1 of KL and 78% of 200 mg L^?1 of KL as sole source of carbon with concurrent reduction in COD and color. The biokinetic details of KL biodegradation showed that the values of \(\mu^{*}\), µ _max, \(q^{*}\) and q _max were 0.018 h^?1, 0.01 h^?1, 0.023 g g^?1 h^?1 and 0.05 g g^?1 h^?1, respectively. UV–visible spectrophotometry, SEM and FTIR indicated the significant alterations in the surface morphology, functional groups and chromophores during the course of biodegradation. XRD revealed the emergence of peak signifying the formation of low molecular weight intermediates after bacterial treatment. Considering the environmental impact, bacterial-treated KL illustrated less phytotoxicity using Vigna radiata seed bioassay. These results suggested that Planococcus sp. TRC1 could be a promising strain for the degradation of KL in an ecofriendly way.     

Adsorption study on municipal solid waste leachate using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Moringa oleifera</Emphasis> seed

Effects of initial concentrations of Moringa oleifera seed coagulant for removing Chemical Oxygen Demand and Total Dissolved Solids from municipal solid waste leachate have been evaluated at an optimum pH of 7 and temperature of 318 K. The kinetic data obtained from the experiments were fitted to the pseudo first-order, pseudo second-order, Elovich and intraparticle diffusion models. Based on a regression coefficient (R ²), the equilibrium (kinetic) data were best fitted with the Elovich model (R ² = 0.993 for Chemical Oxygen Demand and R ² = 0.996 for Total Dissolved Solids) than that of other models. The results of the kinetic models study indicated that the adsorption capacity of M. oleifera seed as a coagulant for removing Chemical Oxygen Demand and Total Dissolved Solids in a leachate increased up to 100 mg L^?1, beyond which the adsorption capacity got reduced. Finally, the present study concluded that M. oleifera seed coagulant could be employed effectively for the removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand and Total Dissolved Solids in a municipal solid waste leachate.     

Evaluation of effective nutritional parameters for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scenedesmus</Emphasis> sp. microalgae culturing in a photobioreactor for biodiesel production

Recently, microalgae are considered as lipid sources for biodiesel production. A photobioreactor was designed and fabricated for Scenedesmus sp. microalgae cultivation. The effect of several nitrogen sources, light intensity, iron ions, silicon, magnesium sulfate and ethanol concentrations on Scenedesmus sp. microalgae growth were investigated. For incubation period of 8 days, sodium nitrate and ammonium carbonate were the best nitrogen sources with biomass concentrations of 2.373 and 2.254 g L^?1, respectively. Microalgae growth was reduced using nitrogen concentrations above 0.7 g L^?1. In the first 10 days of incubation, maximum cell dry weight (0.7 g L^?1) was obtained with light intensity of 10,000 lx, whiles after that, the results were desired (1 g L^?1) using interior lighting at 7500 lx. Magnesium sulfate had a positive effect on cell growth. The biomass concentration of 1.65 g L^?1 was obtained using 0.06 g L^?1 magnesium sulfate. Maximum obtained biomass with silicon (0.7 Mm), ethanol (1.8 mL L^?1) and ferric ammonium citrate (0.02 g L^?1) was 1.7 and 1.3 and 2.16 g L^?1, respectively. Logistic model was found to be a suitable model for cell growth forecast. Fatty acid analysis showed that composition of the most dominant synthesized fatty acids, palmitic and oleic acids, was 21.16 and 33.58%, respectively. Oil produced by Scenedesmus sp. microalgae composed of 49.08% saturated and 43.53% unsaturated fatty acids has a suitable composition for a desired biodiesel.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-assisted removal of nutrients from municipal wastewater by microalgae <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella vulgaris</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scenedesmus obliquus</Emphasis>

Axenic culture of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris ATCC^® 13482 and Scenedesmus obliquus FACHB 417 was used for phycoremediation of primary municipal wastewater. The main aim of this study was to measure the effects of normal air and CO₂-augmented air on the removal efficacy of nutrients (ammonia N and phosphate P) from municipal wastewater by the two microalgae. Batch experiments were carried out in cylindrical glass bottles of 1 L working volume at 25 °C and cool fluorescent light of 6500 lux maintaining 14/10 h of light/dark cycle with normal air supplied at 0.2 L min^?1 per liter of the liquid for both algal strains for the experimental period. In the next set of experiments, the treatment process was enhanced by using 1, 2 and 5% CO₂/air (vol./vol.) supply into microalgal cultures. The enrichment of inlet air with CO₂ was found to be beneficial. The maximum removal of 76.3 and 76% COD, 94.2 and 92.6% ammonia, and 94.8 and 93.1% phosphate after a period of 10 days was reported for C. vulgaris and S. obliquus, respectively, with 5% CO₂/air supply. Comparing the two microalgae, maximum removal rates of ammonia and phosphate by C. vulgaris were 4.12 and 1.75 mg L^?1 day^?1, respectively, at 5% CO₂/air supply. From kinetic study data, it was found that the specific rates of phosphate utilization (q _phsophate) by C. vulgaris and S. obliquus at 5% CO₂/air supply were 1.98 and 2.11 day^?1, respectively. Scale-up estimation of a reactor removing phosphate (the criteria pollutant) from 50 MLD wastewater influent was also done.     

Stability of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Agglomerates in Transitional Waters and Their Effects Towards Plankton from Lagoon of Venice (Italy)

The present study explores the effect of salinity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) gradients on the stability and reactivity of titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO₂-NP) agglomerates in ambient water from the Lagoon of Venice and their possible effect on nauplii sampled at the same locations. In all ambient water samples, TiO₂-NPs formed rapidly micrometre-sized agglomerates. The increase in the salinity and concomitant decrease in DOC content induced the formation of larger agglomerates, with z-average hydrodynamic diameter increasing with TiO₂-NP concentration and exposure duration. Under the studied conditions, ζ-potential exhibited negative values. In line with agglomeration results, enhancement of the salinity and lower DOC resulted in less negative ζ-potential with close to 0 values in the dispersions of 100 mg L^?1 TiO₂-NPs in sea water. Two-hour exposure to micrometre-sized agglomerates of TiO₂-NPs resulted in an increase in the fluorescence of propidium iodide (PI) stained nauplii in comparison with unexposed controls, but had no effect at 24-h exposure. The increase in nauplii-associated PI fluorescence was more noticeable in dispersions containing 100 mg L^?1 than those containing 10 mg L^?1 TiO₂-NPs, suggesting membrane permeability alteration in a concentration-dependent manner. However, the PI staining results have to be interpreted with caution because of the possible dye binding to the nauplii surface without penetration of cellular membrane. The effect of TiO₂-NPs on nauplii was more pronounced at higher salinity and decreased with increasing DOC concentrations at 2 h, while no trends were found at 24-h exposure, as well as exposure to 100 mg L^?1 TiO₂-NPs.     

The human impact on the transformation of juniper forest landscape in the western part of the Pamir-Alay range (Tajikistan)

Detailed analyses were conducted of human impact on juniper forest landscapes occurring within the Zarafshan Range (Pamir-Alay). Juniperus seravschanica and J. semiglobosa belong to forest-forming species in Central Asia. At present, juniper forests all over Tajikistan are seriously threatened as a result of excessive logging and cattle grazing. The aim of this paper is to present juniper forest transformation as a result of human activities as well as the diversity of soil properties in the organic and humus horizons in the altitudinal system of soil zonation. Three groups of phytocoenoses were distinguished: those with a dominant share of Juniperus seravschanica; those with a dominant share of J. semiglobosa; and mixed. Associations with Juniperus seravschanica and J. semiglobosa feature several variants of phytocoenoses with dominant species: Artemisia lehmanniana, A. dracunculus, Eremurus olgae, Festuca sulcata, Ligularia thomsonii, Stipa turkestanica, Thymus seravschanicus, and Ziziphora pamiroalaica. The collected soil samples differ in their granulometric composition. Gravelly cobble fractions >2 mm are dominant; the share of sandy particles <2 mm is much lower (about 10–20%). Fraction 0.5–0.05 attains 35% on average. The Corg content of the soil varied from 0.26 to 11.40% in the humus horizon (A) and from 4.3 to 25% in the organic (O). Similar relationships were reported in the case of Ntot concentration. A clear relationship can be observed between concentrations of Corg and Ntot. Soil pH varied, ranging from very low acidic (pH 5.5) to neutral (pH 8.5). The content of available P varied; high concentrations were noted in organic (O) (40.46–211 mg kg^?1) and mixed horizons (OA) (2.61–119 mg kg^?1). Maximum accumulations of Pavail (1739.6 mg kg^?1) and Ptot (9696 mg kg^?1) were observed at a site heavily affected by intense grazing. Concentrations of Mgavail varied from 116 to 964 mg kg^?1. Most of the analysed soil profiles lacked an organic horizon; only thin humus occurred.     

Biosorption optimization and equilibrium isotherm of industrial dye compounds in novel strains of microscopic fungi

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biosorption capacity of selected strains of microscopic fungi. We optimized the biosorption process and used the Freundlich isotherm for three strains: H. haematococca BwIII43, K37 and T. harzianum BsIII33 to describe the biosorption equilibrium of anthraquinone dye, Alizarin Blue Black B (ABBB) and alkali lignin (AL). In optimal conditions (1 g of mycelium biomass, pH = 7.0, 28 °C) for ABBB and AL sorption, the live biomass of H. haematococca BwIII43 was characterized by a higher sorption capacity, amounting to 247.47 and 161.00 mg g^?1, respectively. The highest sorption properties toward anthraquinone dye (K _F = 19.96 mg g^?1) were shown for the biomass of H. haematococca K37. In the presence of alkali lignin, the highest sorption capacity and bond strength exhibited the biomass of H. haematococca BwIII43 (K _F = 28.20 mg g^?1, n = 3.46). Effective decolorization of ABBB and AL by the selected strains of microscopic fungi indicated that the biosorption process additionally enhanced the removal of color compounds from the solution.     

Immobilized <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-lactamase on Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> magnetic nanoparticles for degradation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-lactam antibiotics in wastewater

The emergence of antibiotics residues in pharmaceutical industrial wastewater has been a significant environment problem. However, current methods of treating antibiotic-polluted wastewater are inefficient, of high cost and time-consuming. In this study, highly effective enzymatic Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles were developed, which is extremely simple and can degrade antibiotics in a fast manner at a low cost. β-Lactamase, a representative enzyme for β-lactam antibiotic degradation, was covalently immobilized on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles modified with amino groups by a simple cross-linking process. The immobilized β-lactamase displayed a wider pH and temperature range for penicillin G degradation than the free enzyme. Meanwhile, the thermostability and storage stability of the immobilized β-lactamase were improved. Fifty milligrams magnetic nanoparticles immobilized with β-lactamase can thoroughly degrade 100 mL penicillin G (5–50 mg L^?1) within 5 min. Even if the β-lactamase immobilized on the nanoparticles was reused 35 times in the 5 mg L^?1 penicillin G solution, it still kept more than 95% degradation efficiency. These suggest that magnetic nanoparticles immobilized with β-lactamase have a sufficient capacity for degrading antibiotics in wastewater and will serve as a practical and economical solution to antibiotic pollution in pharmaceutical industrial wastewater treatment.     

Potential of plant species for phytoremediation of metformin from solutions

Phytoremediation has been applied for treating an extensive range of environmental contaminants such as anti-diabetic drug metformin which is increasingly found as environmental contaminant. These contaminants are released to the environment via human and veterinary medicine and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, native plant capabilities for uptake of metformin from wastewater were investigated. Moreover, uptake rate of metformin was studied in two different concentrations of 20 and 50 mg l^?1 metformin solution by Amaranthus retroflexus, Ricinus communis, Brassica napus, Celosia cristata, Helianthus annuus and Phragmites australis. The results showed that after exposing to 20 mg l^?1 metformin solution 69.53 ± 2.25% of metformin was remediated by H. annuus plants. Also in 50 mg l^?1 metformin solution, H. annuus plants showed the most remediation potential (65.7 ± 1%). Metformin uptake is raised by B. napus and C. cristata plants along with increasing metformin concentration. There was no evidence of the presence of metformin in the roots and shoots of R. communis and C. cristata. The results also indicated that plants such as H. annuus can be a potential candidate for uptake of metformin from wastewater.     

Physiological Constraints in Juvenile <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ostrea chilensis</Emphasis> Fed the Toxic Dinoflagellate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alexandrium catenella</Emphasis>

Frequent blooms of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella in southern Chile encouraged undertaking the present study which uses the oyster Ostrea chilensis as a model for evaluating the feeding, growth, lipid storage and mortality responses to diets containing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) produced by A. catenella. Medium-term (30 days) physiological responses of two groups of juvenile oysters were measured every 10 days. Five replicates were exposed to diets containing A. catenella and other five replicates were fed with a diet containing the non-toxic algae Isochrysis galbana. Diets were continuously supplied at a concentration of 2 mg L^?1, in which the feeding and metabolic activity was measured, and the scope for growth calculated. Lipids storage, actual growth and mortality were also measured every 10 days. The results showed that the toxic diet has dramatic negative effects on feeding and metabolism of the juvenile individuals of O. chilensis, with high reduction of the lipid storage and growth. Mortality was also increased in individuals fed with the contaminated diet. This study supports the conclusion that the toxic dinoflagellate A. catenella restricts the energy acquisition in the juvenile O. chilensis, an important fishery and aquaculture resource in southern Chile.     

Comparative study of the absorptive potential of raw and activated carbon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia nilotica</Emphasis> for Reactive Black 5 dye

Acacia nilotica was used for the adsorption of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye from an aqueous solution. Both the raw and activated (with H₃PO₄) carbon forms of Acacia nilotica (RAN and ANAC, respectively) were used for comparison. Various parameters (including dye concentration, contact time, temperature, and pH) were optimized to obtain the maximum adsorption capacity. RAN and ANAC were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The maximum experimental adsorption capacities for RAN and ANAC were 34.79 and 41.01 mg g^?1, respectively, which agreed with the maximum adsorption capacities predicted by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich equilibrium isotherm models. The adsorption data of ANAC showed a good fit to the isotherm models based on the coefficient of determination (R ²): Langmuir type II (R ² = 0.99) > Freundlich (R ² = 0.9853) > Dubinin–Radushkevich (R ² = 0.9659). This result suggested monolayer adsorption of RB5 dye. The adsorption of RB5 dye followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The RAN adsorbent reflected an exothermic reaction (enthalpy change, ΔH = ?0.006 kJ mol^?1) and increased randomness (standard entropy change, ΔS = 0.038 kJ mol^?1) at the solid–solution interface. In contrast, ANAC reflected both exothermic [?0.011 kJ mol^?1 (303–313 K)] and endothermic [0.003 kJ mol^?1 (313–323 K)] reactions. However, the ΔS value of ANAC was lower when the RB5 adsorption increased from 313 to 323 K. The negative values for the Gibbs free energy change at all temperatures indicated that the adsorption of RB5 dye onto RAN and ANAC was spontaneous in the forward direction.     

Removal of acetaminophen from hospital wastewater using electro-Fenton process

The current work deals with efficient removal of acetaminophen (AC) from hospital wastewater using electro-Fenton (EF) process. The degradation yield of 99.5% was obtained under optimal experimental conditions, namely 5.75 mg L^?1 initial AC concentration, 2.75 pH solution, 3-cm inter-electrode distance, 100 mg L^?1 KCl electrolyte, 122.5 µL L^?1 H₂O₂, 8 mA cm^?2 current density at equilibrium time of 8 min. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) suggested that the effect of mentioned operating parameters was statistically significant on the AC removal. The low probability amount of P value (P < 0.0001), the Fisher’s F-value of 65.91, and correlation coefficient of the model (R² = 0.9545) revealed a satisfactory correlation between the experimental and the predicted values of AC removal. The predicted removal efficiency of 99.4% was in satisfactory agreement with the obtained experimental removal efficiency of 98.7%. The AC degradation during the EF followed a first-order kinetic model with rate constants (K_app) of 0.6718 min^?1. Using the ordinary radical scavengers revealed that main mechanism of AC degradation controlled by the hydroxyl free radicals produced throughout the EF process. The excess amount of iron (II) scavenged the active radicals and diminished the concentration of ^·OH available to react with AC. The optimum molar ratio of H₂O₂ to Fe²⁺ was found to be 2.5. The developed EF process as a promising technique applied for treatment of real samples.     

Thermoelastic properties of chromium oxide Cr<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> (eskolaite) at high pressures and temperatures

A new synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of chromium oxide Cr₂O₃ (eskolaite) with the corundum-type structure has been carried out in a Kawai-type multi-anvil apparatus to pressure of 15 GPa and temperatures of 1873 K. Fitting the Birch–Murnaghan equation of state (EoS) with the present data up to 15 GPa yielded: bulk modulus (K _0,T0), 206 ± 4 GPa; its pressure derivative K′_0,T , 4.4 ± 0.8; (?K _0,T /?T) = ?0.037 ± 0.006 GPa K^?1; a = 2.98 ± 0.14 × 10^?5 K^?1 and b = 0.47 ± 0.28 × 10^?8 K^?2, where α _0,T  = a + bT is the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient. The thermal expansion of Cr₂O₃ was additionally measured at the high-temperature powder diffraction experiment at ambient pressure and α _0,T0 was determined to be 2.95 × 10^?5 K^?1. The results indicate that coefficient of the thermal expansion calculated from the EoS appeared to be high-precision because it is consistent with the data obtained at 1 atm. However, our results contradict α ₀ value suggested by Rigby et al. (Brit Ceram Trans J 45:137–148, 1946) widely used in many physical and geological databases. Fitting the Mie–Grüneisen–Debye EoS with the present ambient and high-pressure data yielded the following parameters: K _0,T0 = 205 ± 3 GPa, K′_0,T  = 4.0, Grüneisen parameter (γ ₀) = 1.42 ± 0.80, q = 1.82 ± 0.56. The thermoelastic parameters indicate that Cr₂O₃ undergoes near isotropic compression at room and high temperatures up to 15 GPa. Cr₂O₃ is shown to be stable in this pressure range and adopts the corundum-type structure. Using obtained thermoelastic parameters, we calculated the reaction boundary of knorringite formation from enstatite and eskolaite. The Clapeyron slope (with \({\text{d}}P/{\text{d}}T = - 0.014\) GPa/K) was found to be consistent with experimental data.     

Principal component analysis for interaction of nitrifiers and wastewater environments at a full-scale activated sludge plant

This study investigated the relationship between wastewater environments and the nitrifiers at a full-scale plant using principal component analysis. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria were detected by florescent in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, phylogenetic analysis, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Pyrosequencing was also used in profiling the ammonia monooxygenase locus of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria community. It was found that the dominant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria sequences were related to uncultured ammonia-oxidizing bacterium, uncultured Nitrosomonadaceae bacterium, Nitrosomonas sp., and uncultured bacterium. In addition, Nitrobacter clones were related to uncultured alpha proteobacterium, uncultured bacterium, uncultured Nitrobacter sp., and uncultured Bradyrhizobium sp., whereas Nitrospira clones were similar to uncultured bacterium, Candidatus Nitrospira defluvii, uncultured Nitrospira sp., and uncultured Nitrospirae bacterium. The ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria ranged 2.83 × 10⁸–1.33 × 10¹⁰ and 1.25 × 10¹⁰–1.13 × 10¹¹ copies L^?1, respectively, equivalent to nitrite-oxidizing bacteria: ammonia-oxidizing bacteria ratio of 10:1. The first three parts of the principal components analysis accounted for 76.8% of the explained variance. The first principal component (44.4%) designated that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and Nitrospira were mainly influenced by seasonal variations, followed by chemical oxygen demand concentration and nitrogen species (i.e., ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate). The second principal component (19.1%) showed no information about the nitrifiers’ interaction with environmental factors, whereas Nitrobacter demonstrated a high correlation with ammonia on the third principal component (13.3%). These results revealed that the species of Nitrobacter were less influenced by environmental conditions than ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and Nitrospira spp.     

Sulfate Reduction and Sulfur Cycles at Two Seagrass Beds Inhabited by Cold Affinity <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera marina</Emphasis> and Warm Affinity <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halophila nipponica</Emphasis> in Temperate Coastal Waters

To evaluate the impact of invading seagrass on biogeochemical processes associated with sulfur cycles, we investigated the geochemical properties and sulfate reduction rates (SRRs) in sediments inhabited by invasive warm affinity Halophila nipponica and indigenous cold affinity Zostera marina. A more positive relationship between SRR and below-ground biomass (BGB) was observed at the H. nipponica bed (SRR = 0.6809 × BGB ? 4.3162, r ² = 0.9878, p = 0.0006) than at the Z. marina bed (SRR = 0.3470 × BGB ? 4.0341, r ² = 0.7082, p = 0.0357). These results suggested that SR was more stimulated by the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exuded from the roots of H. nipponica than by the DOC released from the roots of Z. marina. Despite the enhanced SR in spring-summer, the relatively lower proportion (average, 20%) of acid-volatile sulfur (AVS) in total reduced sulfur and the strong correlation between total oxalate-extractable Fe (Fe_(oxal)) and chromium-reducible sulfur (CRS = 0.2321 × total Fe_(oxal) + 1.8180, r ² = 0.3344, p = 0.0076) in the sediments suggested the rapid re-oxidation of sulfide and precipitation of sulfide with Fe. The turnover rate of the AVS at the H. nipponica bed (0.13 day^?1) was 2.5 times lower than that at the Z. marina bed (0.33 day^?1). Together with lower AVS turnover, the stronger correlation of SRR to BGB in the H. nipponica bed suggests that the extension of H. nipponica resulting from the warming of seawater might provoke more sulfide accumulation in coastal sediments.     

Oxidation of bisphenol A by a boron-doped diamond electrode in different water matrices: transformation products and inorganic by-products

An electrochemical advanced oxidation process employing a boron-doped diamond anode for the treatment of synthetic waters and secondary effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) was studied. The efficiency and formation of transformation products (TPs) for this treatment process were investigated at different current densities for bisphenol A (BPA) spiked to synthetic water and WWTP effluents. A complete removal of the parent compound was achieved in WWTP effluents. Higher applied current densities resulted in faster removal. At the same time, a correlation between the applied current density and the ozone concentration measured in the bulk solution was revealed. Hence, the observed transformation of BPA is likely due to the generation of reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radicals and ozone. Based on a suspected target screening approach, four known TPs and two unreported (new) TPs were identified by LC–MS analysis. These results suggest a transformation pathway following three steps: hydroxylation of the aromatic ring, followed by oxidation of the isopropylidene bridge and finally a ring opening and formation of organic acids and other small molecules. The presence of chloride ions in WWTP effluents can result in the generation of excessive concentrations of chlorate and perchlorate during electrochemical oxidation. Applying a current density of 208 mA cm^?2, a complete elimination of BPA was achievable after 15 min (Q/V = 430 mA h L^?1); however, the oxidation resulted in concentrations of chlorate and perchlorate of 2.85 and 5.65 mg L^?1, respectively. These values were directly dependent on the exposure time and desired degree of BPA removal.     

Effects of micro-plastic particles on paraquat toxicity to common carp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinus carpio</Emphasis>): biochemical changes

In this study, we investigated the possible effects of paraquat and micro-plastics on blood biochemical parameters in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). We exposed C. carpio for 21 days to sublethal concentrations of paraquat (0.2 and 0.4 mg L^?1) and micro-plastics (1 and 2 mg L^?1), alone or in combination. Blood biochemical analysis indicated that exposure to 0.4 mg L^?1 paraquat and mixture of paraquat and micro-plastics was followed by an increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activities and glucose levels. The activity of ALP and CPK showed a significant increase in fish treated with 2 mg L^?1 micro-plastics. No significant changes were observed in glucose level, AST, ALT, and LDH activities in fish exposed to micro-plastics. Exposure to paraquat and/or micro-plastics resulted in a significant decrease in total protein, globulin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and γ-glutamyl transferase activity. When fish were exposed to paraquat or paraquat and micro-plastics, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities increased significantly compared to the control group. Treating fishes with a mixture of paraquat and 2 mg L^?1 micro-plastics caused a significant increase in albumin levels. However, a significant decrease in the albumin level was observed after exposure to paraquat or micro-plastics. Creatinine levels increased after exposure to paraquat and/or micro-plastics. The results indicate that increased doses of micro-plastics in water significantly increased toxic effects of paraquat in fish. Finally, these data support the hypothesis that changes in blood biochemical parameters were induced by exposure to paraquat and/or micro-plastics.     

Ameliorating nitrite inhibition in a low-temperature nitritation–anammox MBBR using bacterial intermediate nitric oxide

The long-term sustainability of an anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) treating highly concentrated (mean of 740 mg NH₄ ⁺-N L^?1) wastewater was demonstrated by 1600 days of efficient operation. A high maximum total nitrogen removal rate (TNRR) of 1.5 g N m^?2 d^?1 was achieved at the low temperature of 20 °C. For nitrogen removal recovery in cases of nitrite inhibition, anammox intermediate nitric oxide (NO) was tested in batch experiments as an N-removal accelerating agent. The effect of the addition of various NO dosages (8–72 mg NO-N L^?1) was studied under inhibitory nitrite concentrations (>100 mg NO₂ ^?-N L^?1) for anammox bacteria. Optimal maintained NO concentration was 58 mg NO-N L^?1 and brought about the highest biofilm-specific anammox activity (SAA). Compared to a blank test, the minimum concentration of added NO of 40 mg NO-N L^?1 showed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) accelerating effect on SAA. No inhibition of SAA by NO was observed, although at NO concentrations exceeding 72 mg NO-N L^?1, the acceleratory effect upon SAA was decreased by 8%. Changes in the bacterial consortia involved in nitrogen conversion were determined concurrently for the different nitrogen removal rates and operational conditions. Quantities of Planctomycetales clone P4 strains, which are the closest (99% similarity) relative to Candidatus Brocadia fulgida, increased from 1 × 10³ to 1 × 10⁶ anammox gene copies per g total suspended solids during reactor operation days 568–1600, which was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. During the operation of the MBBR, the abundance of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) increased proportionally (up to 30%). The abundance of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) did not increase (remaining below 10%) during days 232–860. AOB became predominant over NOBs owing to the inhibition of free ammonia spiking on NOBs.