Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yun Wang, Wei Wei, Xiaohu Dai, Bing-Jie Ni
Summary: This study proposed a novel method to enhance short-chain fatty acids production from anaerobic algae fermentation by using coconut shell ash. Coconut shell ash increased the pH and alkalinity of digestate, promoted solubilization, hydrolysis and acetogenesis processes, and enriched specific microorganisms that contributed to the production of SCFAs. Anaerobic fermentation residue with ash has potential to be used as fertilizer, offering economic and environmental benefits for practical applications.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhenyao Wang, Xuan Li, Huan Liu, Ting Zhou, Zihao Qin, Jinhua Mou, Jing Sun, Siyu Huang, Alex Chaves, Li Gao, Qilin Wang
Summary: Anaerobic fermentation of secondary sludge is crucial for stabilizing, reducing, and utilizing secondary sludge in wastewater treatment plants. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the end product of anaerobic fermentation, are receiving attention due to their shorter fermentation time, higher economic value, and broader application range. This review summarizes the composition and structure of secondary sludge, tactics for SCFAs accumulation, metabolic pathways of anaerobes in SCFAs production, and the impact of SCFAs composition on subsequent applications. The findings highlight the limitations of secondary sludge in terms of decomposition and SCFAs production, as well as technologies to promote SCFAs accumulation. The review emphasizes the importance of considering individual SCFAs composition for the application of SCFAs derived from anaerobic fermentation of secondary sludge.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiaomin Wang, Yufen Wang, Lixin Tian, Kaixin Zheng, Tingting Zhu, Xueming Chen, Yingxin Zhao, Yiwen Liu
Summary: This study presents an innovative strategy for short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from anaerobic waste activated sludge (WAS) fermentation using heat assisted potassium ferrate (PF) pretreatment. The pretreatment enhances the disintegration of sludge, releasing organic compounds and improving their biodegradability. It also promotes the bioactivity of key enzymes involved in SCFAs accumulation and leads to a shift in microbial community structure towards SCFAs-producing bacteria.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Heliang Pang, Qiangqiang Jiao, Junguo He, Zhiqiang Zhang, Ling Wang, Zhongsen Yan, Jinsuo Lu
Summary: This study investigates the use of alkaline hydrolase blend (AHB) incubation at initial pH 10.0 condition for enhancing anaerobic fermentation in waste activated sludge management. The results show that this method significantly increased the release of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and promoted the hydrolysis and biodegradation of dissolved organic matters. The AHB-based strategy proves to be a cost-effective and carbon-beneficial technology for sludge management.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jinjin Liu, Shengjie Qiu, Liang Zhang, Qiang He, Xiyao Li, Qiong Zhang, Yongzhen Peng
Summary: The study found that intermittent pH control strategy, at a moderate temperature, promotes the production of SCFAs by alleviating the inhibition of acid-producing bacteria by strong alkaline and high FA concentration. This strategy also increases microbial diversity and the abundance of genes related to amino acid metabolism and fatty acid production, leading to enhanced SCFAs production. In the long-term, it results in a reduction in alkali consumption and an increase in SCFAs production compared to constant pH control at 10.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jinghuan Luo, Li Jiang, Yuanyuan Wei, Yanmei Li, Guiyu Yang, Yu-You Li, Jianyong Liu
Summary: Alkaline anaerobic fermentation (AAF) coupled with EDTA addition was used to treat metal and EPSs-rich waste activated sludge (WAS). The addition of EDTA significantly promoted sludge solubilization and SCFAs production by chelating metals and destroying EPSs. This study provides an effective method for recovering carbon source from metal and EPSs-rich WAS.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Farokh Laqa Kakar, Steven N. Liss, Elsayed Elbeshbishy
Summary: This study investigated the impact of high temperature thermochemical pretreatment on volatile fatty acids (VFA) production and methane recovery in wastewater sludge treatment. The results showed that acidic and alkaline conditions during the pretreatment increased sludge solubilization and methane production. Alkaline sludge has shown technical and economic feasibility for sludge carbon recovery.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xiaodong Zhang, Xiaoding Huang, Xiaoming Li, Jiamin Zhang, Mengge Tang, Xuran Liu, Dongbo Wang, Qi Yang, Abing Duan, Junwu Liu
Summary: This study proposed a citric acid (CA) treatment strategy for improving short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from waste activated sludge (WAS), with the optimum SCFAs yield reaching 384.4 mg COD/g VSS with 0.08 g CA/g TSS addition. The biodegradation of CA contributes to the yield of total SCFAs, especially acetic acid. The presence of CA enhances sludge decomposition, fermentation substrate biodegradability, and the abundance of fermenting microorganisms.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jiamin Zhang, Dongbo Wang, Xiaoming Li, Xuran Liu, Qi Yang, Qiuxiang Xu, Guojing Yang, Abing Duan, Yingchun Fang
Summary: This study introduces a new FA pretreatment technique for recovering SCFAs from PS. The results show that FA pretreatment significantly enhances SCFAs production, resulting in a 4.5-fold increase compared to the control group. Mechanism investigations reveal that FA pretreatment accelerates PS solubilization, destroys EPS integrity, and increases easily biodegradable substrates in the fermentation broth. FA also inhibits methane production, leading to further SCFAs accumulation. The conversion of NH4+-N released during fermentation into FA facilitates the transition of wastewater treatment plants operation from linear to circular mode.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Zhang-Wei He, Hong-Yu Jin, Yong-Xiang Ren, Wen-Jing Yang, Cong-Cong Tang, Chun-Xue Yang, Ai-Juan Zhou, Wen-Zong Liu, Ai-Jie Wang
Summary: This study proposed a promising approach, stepwise alkaline treatment coupled with ammonia stripping, to enhance short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production from waste activated sludge (WAS) anaerobic digestion. The strategy not only increased SCFAs production significantly, but also achieved nitrogen and carbon recovery, offering solutions for the carbon-neutral operation of wastewater treatment plants.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Silvia Greses, Nicola De Bernardini, Laura Treu, Stefano Campanaro, Cristina Gonzalez-Fernandez
Summary: This study investigated the effect of slight pH variations on the microbial dynamics and corresponding functions in anaerobic fermentation of food waste. It was found that a pH of 6.5 promoted the production of acetate, butyrate, and ethanol, while a slight decrease to 6.1 resulted in caproate and H2 production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuqi Wu, Xiuping Yue, Aijuan Zhou, Xiulan Song, Bingqin Su, Fang Cao, Jianzhi Ding
Summary: Anaerobic fermentation (AF) with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) conditioning was used to achieve simultaneous recovery of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and phosphorus (P) from waste activated sludge (WAS) and meat processing waste (MPW). The addition of NaOH improved the AF performance by inhibiting the degradation of long-chain fatty acids. Anaerovibrio and Aminobacterium were identified as the major genera in the lipid-rich AF system. The study also demonstrated successful recovery of P through vivianite crystallization method. Overall, this study provides a new approach for SCFAs and P recovery from WAS and MPW through AF with NaOH conditioning and vivianite crystallization.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yue Lu, Xunkuo Zhang, Xuran Liu, Qi Lu, Zijing Li, Jun Xiao, Yifu Li, Xingxin Hu, Qingqing Xie, Dongbo Wang
Summary: This study demonstrated that pretreatment with ferric chloride (FC) and nitrite increased the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from waste activated sludge (WAS). The combined system with 4 mmol/L FC and 250 mg/L nitrite achieved the highest SCFAs production on day 5, which was 4.1-fold higher than the blank control. The proportion of acetic acid in the combined system was higher, while other SCFAs were lower, indicating the effectiveness of the treatment. Fluorescence spectrum analysis and microbial community structure analysis supported these findings.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ruixin Wu, Jinghuan Luo, Shanping Chen, Jianyong Liu, Ruina Zhang, Yu-You Li
Summary: This study investigated the inhibition effect and mechanisms of calcium ions on short-chain fatty acids production from waste activated sludge. The results showed that a high concentration of calcium ions reduced the production of short-chain fatty acids, possibly by inhibiting sludge disintegration and reducing the release of organic substrates.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jinghua Lv, Lirong Yao, Yuge Liang, Siqi He, Shujia Zhang, Tianyu Shi, Li Gong, Hailong Li, Yunbei Li, Tonghuan Yu, Yanzhuo Zhang
Summary: An efficient strategy for producing short-chain fatty acids was proposed using a combination of yeast and alkyl polyglucose. The synergistic effect of yeast and APG improved the solubilization, biodegradability, and acidification of the fermentation process, leading to higher SCFA concentrations.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Toshimi Nakajima, Mao Kuragano, Makoto Yamada, Ryo Sugimoto
Summary: This study compared the contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to river nutrient budgets at nearshore and embayment scales, and found that SGD-derived nutrients become more important at larger spatial scales.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Liu, Lei Zhang, Chongyang Zhang, Ziguang Chen, Jingguang Li
Summary: NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves used for household heating have become a significant source of indoor pollution in Chinese urban areas. The high indoor concentration of NO2 poses potential health risks to residents. It is urgently necessary to establish relevant regulations and implement emission reduction technologies to reduce NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Hans Peter H. Arp, Raoul Wolf, Sarah E. Hale, Sivani Baskaran, Juliane Gluege, Martin Scheringer, Xenia Trier, Ian T. Cousins, Harrie Timmer, Roberta Hofman-Caris, Anna Lennquist, Andre D. Bannink, Gerard J. Stroomberg, Rosa M. A. Sjerps, Rosa Montes, Rosario Rodil, Jose Benito Quintana, Daniel Zahn, Herve Gallard, Tobias Mohr, Ivo Schliebner, Michael Neumann
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philomina Onyedikachi Peter, Binessi Edouard Ifon, Francois Nkinahamira, Kayode Hassan Lasisi, Jiangwei Li, Anyi Hu, Chang-Ping Yu
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in sediments from Yundang Lagoon, China. The results show four distinct fluorescent components, with protein-like substances being the most prevalent. Additionally, the total fluorescence intensity and LREE concentrations exhibit a synchronized increase from Outer to Inner to Songbai Lake core sediments. The findings demonstrate a strong correlation between DOM content and pollution levels.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Surya Gupta, Pasquale Borrelli, Panos Panagos, Christine Alewell
Summary: The objective of this study is to incorporate soil hydraulic properties into the erodibility factor (K) of USLE-type models. By modifying and improving the existing equations for soil texture and permeability, the study successfully included information on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) into the calculation of K factor. Using the Random Forest machine learning algorithm, two independent K factor maps with different spatial resolutions were generated. The results show that the decrease in K factor values has a positive impact on the modeling of soil erosion rates.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesmin Akter, Wendy J. M. Smith, Yawen Liu, Ilho Kim, Stuart L. Simpson, Phong Thai, Asja Korajkic, Warish Ahmed
Summary: The choice of workflow in wastewater surveillance has a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, while having minimal effects on HF183 and no effect on HAdV 40/41 concentrations. Certain components in the workflow can be interchangeable, but factors such as buffer type, chloroform, and homogenization speed can affect the recovery of viruses and bacteria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Luo, Xueting Yang, Diwei Wang, Hongmei Xu, Hongai Zhang, Shasha Huang, Qiyuan Wang, Ningning Zhang, Junji Cao, Zhenxing Shen
Summary: Atmospheric PM2.5, which can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), is associated with cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The study found that both the mass concentration of PM2.5 and the DTT activity were higher during the heating season than during the nonheating season. Combustion sources were the primary contributors to DTT activity during the heating season, while secondary formation dominated during the nonheating season. The study also revealed that biomass burning had the highest inherent oxidation potential among all sources investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin L. Murphy, Leah R. Gerber, Chelsea M. Rochman, Beth Polidoro
Summary: Plastic pollution has devastating consequences for marine organisms. This study uses a trait-based framework to develop a vulnerability index for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles in Hawai'i. The index ranks 63 study species based on their vulnerability to macroplastic pollution, providing valuable information for species monitoring and management priorities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kenji Maurice, Amelia Bourceret, Sami Youssef, Stephane Boivin, Liam Laurent-Webb, Coraline Damasio, Hassan Boukcim, Marc-Andre Selosse, Marc Ducousso
Summary: Growing pressure from climate change and agricultural land use is destabilizing soil microbial community interactions. Little is known about microbial community resistance and adaptation to disturbances, hindering our understanding of recovery latency and implications for ecosystem functioning. This study found that anthropic disturbance and natural disturbance have different effects on the topology and stability of soil microbial networks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunhao Li, Yali Feng, Haoran Li, Yisong Yao, Chenglong Xu, Jinrong Ju, Ruiyu Ma, Haoyu Wang, Shiwei Jiang
Summary: Deep-sea mining poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and human health by disturbing sediment and transmitting metal ions through the food chain. This study developed a new regenerative adsorption material, OMN@SA, which effectively removes metal ions. The adsorption mechanism and performance of the material for metal ion fixation were investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonio Medici, Margherita Lavorgna, Marina Isidori, Chiara Russo, Elena Orlo, Giovanni Luongo, Giovanni Di Fabio, Armando Zarrelli
Summary: Valsartan, a widely used antihypertensive drug, has been detected in high concentrations in surface waters due to its unchanged excretion and incomplete degradation in wastewater treatment plants. This study investigated the degradation of valsartan and identified 14 degradation byproducts. The acute and chronic toxicity of these byproducts were evaluated in key organisms in the freshwater trophic chain.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiang Lin, Lianbao Chi, Qing Yuan, Busu Li, Mingbao Feng
Summary: This study investigated the photodegradation behavior and product formation of two representative pharmaceuticals in simulated estuary water. The study found that the formed transformation products of these pharmaceuticals have potential toxicity on marine organisms, including oxidative stress and damage to cellular components.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua Fang, Dongdong Jiang, Ye He, Siyi Wu, Yuehong Li, Ziqi Zhang, Haoting Chen, Zixin Zheng, Yan Sun, Wenxiang Wang
Summary: This study revealed that exposure to lower levels of air pollutants led to decreased pregnancy rates, with PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO emerging as the four most prominent pollutants. Individuals aged 35 and above exhibited heightened susceptibility to pollutants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ali Shaan Manzoor Ghumman, Rashid Shamsuddin, Amin Abbasi, Mohaira Ahmad, Yoshiaki Yoshida, Abdul Sami, Hamad Almohamadi
Summary: In this study, inverse vulcanized polysulfides (IVP) were synthesized by reacting molten sulfur with 4-vinyl benzyl chloride, and then functionalized using N-methyl D-glucamine (NMDG). The functionalized IVP showed a high mercury adsorption capacity and a machine learning model was developed to predict the amount of mercury removed. Furthermore, the functionalized IVP can be regenerated and reused, providing a sustainable and cost-effective adsorbent.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rita Bonfiglio, Renata Sisto, Stefano Casciardi, Valeria Palumbo, Maria Paola Scioli, Erica Giacobbi, Francesca Servadei, Gerry Melino, Alessandro Mauriello, Manuel Scimeca
Summary: This study investigated the presence of aluminum in human colon cancer samples and its potential association with biological processes involved in cancer progression. Aluminum was found in tumor areas of 24% of patients and was associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell death. Additional analyses revealed higher tumor mutational burden and mutations in genes related to EMT and apoptosis in aluminum-positive colon cancers. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of aluminum toxicity may improve strategies for the management of colon cancer patients.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)