Article
Environmental Sciences
Jialing Tang, Xiangjiang Qu, Si Chen, Yunhui Pu, Xinrui He, Zhihui Zhou, Huijun Wang, Ni Jin, Jin Huang, Faisal Shah, Yisong Hu, Abdelfatah Abomohra
Summary: Microalgae cultivation using wastewater as a combined process for pollutant removal and lipid production was studied. The effects of anaerobic membrane effluent (AME) and municipal wastewater (MW) ratios on microalgae growth and pollutant removal processes were investigated. The optimal condition for microalgal biomass accumulation and lipid production was found to be a 40% AME content.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cindy Weng, Marlena M. Hinkle, William A. Mitch
Summary: In this study, a reductive electrochemical reactor with a stainless-steel cathode was used to degrade chloramine disinfectant residuals in municipal wastewater effluents. High degradation rates and efficiencies were achieved with a 304-grade stainless-steel cathode and a cathode with a high surface area. The electricity cost associated with this method could be comparable to the cost of purchasing sodium bisulfite in areas with low electricity costs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Depeng Wang, Junshi Tao, Fuqiang Fan, Ronghua Xu, Fangang Meng
Summary: The study introduced a novel low aeration IFAS-MBR system for treating municipal wastewater. It achieved efficient nutrient removal, stable microbial community levels, and enhanced functional robustness and performance of the system.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicolas Reinaldo Finkler, Bjorn Gucker, Davi Gasparini Fernandes Cunha
Summary: This study examined the impact of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges on nutrient concentrations in receiving rivers in Sao Paulo state, Brazil. The results showed that WWTP discharges significantly increased nutrient concentrations and loads, with limited net nutrient uptake along the river reaches. These findings suggest that WWTPs with limited nutrient removal have considerable effects on water chemistry and nutrient cycling, potentially impairing downstream ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elin Ossiansson, Simon Bengtsson, Frank Persson, Michael Cimbritz, David J. I. Gustavsson
Summary: Primary filtration is an effective pre-treatment process for municipal wastewater, characterized by high removal of suspended solids. By combining with rotating belt filter and fermentation, volatile fatty acids can be produced as carbon source for biological nutrient removal. The process efficiently removes particles larger than 10 micrometers and has a strong linear correlation with the influent suspended solids concentration. Fermentation of sludge at ambient temperature and addition to wastewater significantly increases VFA concentration.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jun Qian, Xiru Zhang, Jiali Cheng, Zeyu Jin, Haifeng Zhu
Summary: This study confirmed the potential of nitrified anaerobic digestion effluent (NADPE) as a culture medium for Chlorella vulgaris. Undiluted NADPE, combined with additional inputs of magnesium and dissolved inorganic carbon, achieved optimal conditions for maximum algal biomass productivity and nutrient removal in continuous cultivation system.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kewei Liao, Sijia Ma, Caifeng Liu, Haidong Hu, Jinfeng Wang, Bing Wu, Hongqiang Ren
Summary: This study investigated the effects of low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels on dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) precursor concentrations in biological nutrient removal (BNR) effluents. Surprisingly, lower DO levels were found to result in significantly higher levels of effluent DON and NDMA precursors. Ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry analysis revealed that molecules produced by microbes at low-DO levels may play critical roles in NDMA formation. Path analysis suggested that NDMA formation potential had strong associations with microbe-DON network stability.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arzu Ulvi, Senar Aydin, Mehmet Emin Aydin
Summary: This study examined the concentrations and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the influent and effluent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant and hospital effluents. It found that beta-blockers and psychiatric drugs were detected in high concentrations in the wastewater samples, with hospitals contributing 2-4% of total pharmaceuticals in the plant. The removal of pharmaceuticals in the treatment plant ranged from 23% to 54%.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rongwei Zhong, Hu Li, Yangyang Wang, Ying Zhang, Jian Zhou, Tiecheng Wang
Summary: Plasma oxidation was used to remove antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and inhibit pathogenic bacteria in municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTP). The experimental results showed that plasma treatment effectively removed various ARGs and decreased the diversity and richness of microbial communities. Plasma treatment also resulted in reduced gene expression related to ARGs and inhibited the transmission risks of ARGs and pathogenicity in MWTP effluent.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Harizah B. Hariz, Rebecca J. Lawton, Rupert J. Craggs
Summary: Filamentous algae nutrient scrubbers (FANS) show great potential for cost-effective and sustainable nutrient bioremediation. Developing a standardized bioassay to assess the productivity and nutrient removal of filamentous algae attached to a bottom substrate is crucial. Oedogonium sp. is identified as the best performing species with strong attachment, high biomass productivity, and nutrient removal rates.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
S. M. Zakir Hossain, Nahid Sultana, Majeed S. Jassim, Gulnur Coskuner, Lujain M. Hazin, Shaikh A. Razzak, Mohammad M. Hossain
Summary: This study develops empirical models for predicting the removal efficiencies of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus from municipal wastewater using microalgae. The effects of temperature, light-dark cycle, and nitrate-to-phosphate ratio on simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus were identified. Three competitive soft-computing techniques were used to construct predictive models, and the support vector regression (SVR) model was found to be the most accurate. The SVR models were also able to predict removal efficiencies under different conditions when simulated data was added. Finally, the models were hybridized with a genetic algorithm to optimize nutrient removal efficiency.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dingxiang Wang, Jiahao He, Jun Ma, Jing Zhang, Timothy J. Strathmann
Summary: Permanganate and ferrate oxidations are widely used advanced treatment processes to degrade organic components in secondary effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants. However, these reactions are sensitive to the dissolved effluent organic matter (EfOM) and do not mineralize it but change its molecular composition.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yahong Yang, Yuwei Li, Ran Mao, Yong Shi, Song Lin, Meng Qiao, Xu Zhao
Summary: The removal of phosphate in real domestic wastewater was investigated during Fe-EC and Al-EC processes. The results showed that Fe-EC was more effective in phosphate removal, and the types of flocs varied under low and high DO conditions.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fang Zheng, Shaoyi Xu, Wenbo Chai, Dezhao Liu, Huijie Lu
Summary: This study evaluates the effects of different carbon source addition on effluent dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentration and the formation potentials of nitrogenous disinfection by-products (N-DBPs) in wastewater. The results show that using sludge alkaline fermentation liquid (SAFL) as the carbon source increases the effluent DON concentration but reduces the formation potentials of N-DBPs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sarah H. Ledford, Marie J. Kurz, Laura Toran
Summary: The study found that different nutrient concentrations and light conditions significantly affect metabolic activities in stream ecosystems, highlighting the complexity of metabolic processes in high-nutrient systems.
FRESHWATER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
E. A. Parker, S. B. Grant, Y. Cao, M. A. Rippy, K. J. McGuire, P. A. Holden, M. Feraud, S. Avasarala, H. Liu, W. C. Hung, M. Rugh, J. Jay, J. Peng, S. Shao, D. Li
Summary: This study explores the use of unsteady transit time distribution theory in modeling solute transport in biofilters and demonstrates its accuracy in reproducing breakthrough concentrations. The research shows that more than half of the water in storage at any given time is from the most recent storm, while the rest is a mixture of earlier storms.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
D. Scott Smith, R. Nasir, Wayne Parker, A. Peters, G. Merrington, R. van Egmond, S. Lofts
Summary: The study compared WHAM predictions with measured ionic silver in diverse DOM, capturing the variability within model uncertainty. WHAM significantly underestimated silver binding in sewage samples, proposing a revised empirical model to account for sewage-specific binding sites. It is suggested that as sewage organic matter degrades, WHAM may better model the form.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Yuki Audette, James G. Longstaffe, Adam W. Gillespie, D. Scott Smith, R. Paul Voroney
Summary: The study compared the chemical properties of organic matter in turkey litter compost, source-separated organic compost, and biosolid pellets. It validated the use of humic acids for analyzing the functionality of OM and found that functionality and stability are highly dependent on the source of OM.
SOIL SCIENCE SOCIETY OF AMERICA JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Macon J. Abernathy, Michael Schaefer, Colton J. Vessey, Haizhou Liu, Samantha C. Ying
Summary: Vanadium is a redox-active metal found in groundwater at levels exceeding the notification level, and the redox interaction between V-IV and birnessite can accelerate the dissolution of V-IV and increase dissolved V concentrations.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexandria Loveridge, D. Scott Smith, James C. McGeer
Summary: The demand for rare earth elements (REEs) is increasing, leading to environmental exposure concerns. This study evaluated the acute toxicity of Thulium (Tm) to Hyalella azteca and the potential for toxicity modification by dissolved organic matter (DOM) and certain cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+). Results showed that Tm toxicity was not affected by cationic competition, while DOM provided significant protection against Tm toxicity. This research contributes to understanding Tm toxicity and the importance of considering dissolved organic matter in assessing the environmental risk of REEs.
ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Weibin Chen, Celine Gueguen, D. Scott Smith, Josep Galceran, Jaume Puy, Encarna Companys
Summary: The Conditional Affinity Spectrum (CAS) is crucial for describing binding site heterogeneity of natural organic matter. The numerical method FOCUS is compared with the analytical solution of CAS based on the NICA model for H and Pb binding, showing differences in CAS distribution features. FOCUS-CAS can describe strong metal-binding sites that NICA-CAS cannot, making it a suitable alternative.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tamzin A. Blewett, Erin M. Leonard, Chris N. Glover, Grant B. McClelland, Chris M. Wood, James C. McGeer, Robert C. Santore, D. Scott Smith
Summary: This study found that naturally sourced dissolved organic carbon (DOC) did not limit nickel (Ni) accumulation in sea urchin larvae, but instead modified the bioavailability of Ni through indirect effects or the absorption of DOC-Ni complexes. Additionally, there was evidence for regulation of Ni accumulation in later-stage embryos, suggesting that known relationships between Ni speciation, bioavailability, and bioreactivity may not hold for natural marine DOC samples in sea urchin models.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kiranmayi Mangalgiri, Zhiwen Cheng, Sheila Cervantes, Samantha Spencer, Haizhou Liu
Summary: The disposal of reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) from advanced water purification facilities poses a challenge in treating municipal wastewater effluent for potable reuse. This study investigates UV-based advanced oxidation processes (UV-AOPs) for treating dissolved organic matter (DOM) in ROC, revealing that DOM degradation is dependent on UV fluence, oxidant dose, and ROC dilution factor. UV-H2O2 and UV-S2O82- showed faster reaction kinetics compared to UV-Cl-2, suggesting potential for improving the sustainability of water reuse systems.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Megyn B. Rugh, Stanley B. Grant, Wei-Cheng Hung, Jennifer A. Jay, Emily A. Parker, Marina Feraud, Dong Li, Sumant Avasarala, Patricia A. Holden, Haizhou Liu, Megan A. Rippy, Laurie C. Van de Werfhorst, Timnit Kefela, Jian Peng, Stella Shao, Katherine E. Graham, Alexandria B. Boehm, Samuel Choi, Sanjay K. Mohanty, Yiping Cao
Summary: This study evaluated the removal of microbial contaminants and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by a field-scale biofilter in Southern California. The results showed high variability in the removal efficiency and raised questions about the accuracy of human-associated fecal source markers as indicators for pathogen removal.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jinyu Gao, Qiang Zhao, Cheng Tan, Shaohua Xie, Yadong Yin, Fudong Liu, Haizhou Liu, Baoliang Chen, Jinyong Liu
Summary: Adding CrIII or AlIII salts to PGM catalysts in water suspension can greatly accelerate the reduction of oxyanion pollutants. The addition of K2CrVIO4, K2CrVI2O7, or KCrIII(SO4)2 to Pd/C enhances the reduction of BrO3- by 6-fold. The immobilization of reduced CrVIas CrIII(OH)3 on the catalyst surface increases the adsorption equilibrium constant for BrO3- onto Pd/C by 37-fold.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cheng Tan, Haizhou Liu
Summary: In this study, inhibitive corrosion control strategies for Cr(VI) formation through the oxidation of Cr(0) by chlorine were investigated by adjusting chemical water parameters. The results revealed that increasing pH, silicate, alkalinity, and calcium suppressed Cr(VI) formation due to the precipitation of Cr(III) solids on the surface of Cr(0). These Cr(III) precipitates were less reactive with chlorine and inhibited Cr redox reactivity. The concentration of surface Cr(III) solids was inversely correlated with the rate constant of Cr(VI) formation, and the addition of phosphate showed varying effects on Cr(VI) formation depending on its concentration.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Soyoon Kum, Xinyu Tang, Haizhou Liu
Summary: This study developed a UV-driven persulfate oxidation pre-treatment followed by chemical demineralization (CDM) and microfiltration to effectively treat brackish water desalination brine. The UV/PS pre-treatment successfully eliminated the scale inhibition effect and enhanced the CDM performance. CDM operating for a few minutes removed more than 85% of total calcium, and subsequent microfiltration reduced membrane fouling potential by 80%.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jinyu Gao, Gongde Chen, Qi Fu, Changxu Ren, Cheng Tan, Haizhou Liu, Yin Wang, Jinyong Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates an 18-fold activity enhancement in the catalytic reduction of chlorate by integrating vanadium into the palladium catalyst. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical studies provide insights into the reaction mechanism.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xinyu Tang, Soyoon Kum, Haizhou Liu
Summary: This case study investigates the solid precipitation problem in a brine line system in the inland region of Southern California. Two strategies to prevent scaling issues are proposed: on-site pretreatment of the brine and operational optimization of the pipeline.
ACS ES&T ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sumant Avasarala, John Orta, Michael Schaefer, Macon Abernathy, Samantha Ying, Haizhou Liu
Summary: This study investigated the reaction kinetics of lead(ii) minerals oxidation by free chlorine and free bromine in drinking water distribution systems. The results showed that the oxidation by bromine was orders of magnitude faster than chlorine. The addition of phosphate significantly inhibited lead(ii) mineral oxidation by chlorine, but had only modest effects in the presence of bromide.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)