Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tuo Huang, Jun Xia, Tao Liu, Zicheng Su, Yuntao Guan, Jianhua Guo, Chengwen Wang, Min Zheng
Summary: This study proves the dominance of comammox Nitrospira in low-strength ammonium wastewater biofilm reactors. Despite variations in residual ammonium concentration, comammox Nitrospira consistently dominates the nitrifying guild. The study highlights the crucial role of biomass retention in comammox prevalence.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ncumisa Mpongwana, Sudesh Rathilal
Summary: This review explores the properties of biofilms that can be exploited to enhance biological wastewater systems. It reveals that various biofilm properties, such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), quorum sensing (Qs), and acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs), can be enhanced to improve biofilm technology for wastewater treatment processes. The review also emphasizes the importance of exploiting these properties in simultaneous nitrification and denitrification and biological phosphorus removal processes.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Elaine Cristina Latocheski, Maria Carolina Vieira da Rocha, Maria Cristina Borba Braga
Summary: Nitrification is a common reaction in nitrogen-containing wastewater treatment, and the genus Nitrospira plays a significant role in this process. However, the environmental and operating factors influencing the presence and abundance of Nitrospira in different habitats are not fully understood. Nitrospira bacteria have the potential to adapt to various conditions and have applications in wastewater treatment, but more research is needed.
REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND BIO-TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Hao Jiang, Pei Yang, Zhong Wang, Shang Ren, Jingang Qiu, Haoran Liang, Yongzhen Peng, Xiyao Li, Qiong Zhang
Summary: A partial nitrification sequencing batch reactor was operated to investigate NOB acclimatization in high-ammonia wastewater treatment. Findings showed that NOB adapted to a range of free ammonia concentrations by shifting dominant NOB genus from Nitrospira to Nitrolencea. Additionally, hydroxylamine addition could serve as an emergency measure to alleviate NOB acclimatization during short-term operation.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hareef Ahmed Keerio, Wookeun Bae, Sallahuddin Panhwar
Summary: This study investigated the methods of achieving nitritation at different ammonium concentrations, comparing the performance of continuous stirred-tank reactors with and without biofilm. The results showed that nitrite accumulation without using any chemical inhibitor in low-concentrated reactors is challenging, while picking out the inhibitor at higher concentrations can easily attain nitritation.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gang Wu, Jinju Geng, Ke Xu, Hongqiang Ren
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive summary of the enhanced removal of pharmaceuticals by ammonia oxidizers during nitrification. It discusses the contribution of AOs on pharmaceuticals removal in pure and mixed microbe systems, proposing activated sludge modeling as an effective measure for assessing this contribution. The review also covers the transformation processes and reaction types involved in pharmaceuticals transformation during nitrification, offering insights on optimizing wastewater biological treatment systems for enhanced removal of pharmaceuticals.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lixin Li, Zhengming He, Taojie Liang, Tao Sheng, Fugui Zhang, Dan Wu, Fang Ma
Summary: This article introduces the formation mechanism and influencing factors of microbial film, proposes application measures to strengthen the process, and analyzes the problems encountered and future development directions of the technology.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Shuling Wang, Yongpeng Zhao, Zhihui Wang, Xueli Lv, Alan L. Wright, Xianjun Jiang
Summary: The discovery of comammox Nitrospira has changed our understanding of soil nitrification and expanded our knowledge of nitrifying microorganisms. This study investigated the contribution of comammox to nitrification in paddy soils by analyzing nitrification rates and quantifying the abundance of nitrifying microorganisms. The results showed that comammox Nitrospira had high abundance even when nitrification was almost stopped, indicating its better adaptation to low temperatures compared to other nitrifiers. The study also found that soil water content influenced the activity of comammox clade A, but not clade B. These findings highlight the importance of comammox Nitrospira in soil nitrification and provide insights into the factors shaping their activity.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Zicheng Su, Tao Liu, Jianhua Guo, Min Zheng
Summary: Microbial nitrite oxidation is the primary pathway for nitrate generation in wastewater treatment systems, performed by various nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). However, NOB have become troublesome disruptors in advanced biological nitrogen removal, and strategies for NOB suppression often fail due to their ability to adapt to harsh conditions. This review highlights the phylogenetic and physiological diversities of NOB and emphasizes the importance of understanding their physiological characterization and genomic information in future wastewater treatment studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Morten Simonsen Dueholm, Marta Nierychlo, Kasper Skytte Andersen, Vibeke Rudkjobing, Simon Knutsson, Mads Albertsen, Per Halkjaer Nielsen
Summary: Microbial communities play a crucial role in biological wastewater treatment. This study generates a comprehensive 16S rRNA gene reference database using high-quality sequences from wastewater treatment plants worldwide, providing insights into the diversity and function of these microbial communities. The analysis reveals the impact of environmental conditions and biogeography on the activated sludge microbiota.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liuqing Yang, Gaodi Zhu, Xiaotang Ju, Rui Liu
Summary: The study found that soil pH significantly influenced the contribution of ammonia oxidizers to nitrification-related N2O emissions. In alkaline soil, AOB was the major microbial player contributing to N2O, while in acidic soil, AOA had a greater contribution.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Xiaoxu Cao, Wei Zhao, He Zhang, Jitong Lin, Jingying Hu, Yanhong Lou, Hui Wang, Quangang Yang, Hong Pan, Yuping Zhuge
Summary: The large-scale development of animal husbandry and industrialization has led to increasing co-contamination of heavy metals and antibiotics in soils. This study evaluates the effects of oxytetracycline (OTC) and cadmium (Cd) contaminants on the nitrification process, finding significant inhibitory effects on net nitrification rates and ammonia oxidizer abundance.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Haiyang Liu, Hangwei Hu, Xing Huang, Tida Ge, Yongfu Li, Zhenke Zhu, Xingmei Liu, Wenfeng Tan, Zhongjun Jia, Hongjie Di, Jianming Xu, Yong Li
Summary: Chemoautotrophic canonical ammonia-oxidizers play a significant role in autotrophic nitrification during the mineralization of organic substances with low C/N ratios in paddy soils, as shown by N-15 tracing and DNA-SIP techniques.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Yan Qin, Wenhui Liu, Feng He, Xianglin Li
Summary: The application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers affects the abundance and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in Leymus chinensis steppe. High nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers increase the number of AOB, while soil N transformation is closely related to AOB.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rehab Khawaga, Mohamed Abouleish, Nabil Abdel Jabbar, Sameer Al-Asheh
Summary: This study utilized a model to analyze the most influential operating variables on breakpoint chlorination, using three input factors in experimental design to determine the response variable changes. Results indicated that contact time influences disinfection system, higher concentration of ammonia accelerates NH2Cl destruction, and the effects of ammonia and nitrite on chlorination curve vary depending on the A/N ratio.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Man-Young Jung, Christopher J. Sedlacek, K. Dimitri Kits, Anna J. Mueller, Sung-Keun Rhee, Linda Hink, Graeme W. Nicol, Barbara Bayer, Laura Lehtovirta-Morley, Chloe Wright, Jose R. de la Torre, Craig W. Herbold, Petra Pjevac, Holger Daims, Michael Wagner
Summary: This study characterized the ammonia oxidation kinetic properties of 12 AOA, finding that Nitrosocosmicus species have the lowest affinity for ammonia and total ammonium among all characterized AOA. The substrate affinity of ammonia oxidizers is correlated with their cell surface area to volume ratios, and ammonia-not ammonium-is the substrate for the ammonia monooxygenase enzyme of AOA and comammox, which is similar to AOB.
Article
Limnology
Miquel Ribot, Nancy B. Grimm, Lindsey D. Pollard, Daniel von Schiller, Amalia M. Handler, Eugenia Marti
Summary: Cessation of cattle grazing in some streams of the U.S. Southwest has led to the reestablishment of wetlands, impacting nitrogen cycling in the streams. Results show that higher nitrogen uptake and storage, as well as turnover rates, were observed in the pre-wetland state compared to the wetland state, indicating a shorter retention time for assimilated nitrogen in stream biomass.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Isabel Pardo, Lenka Kuglerova, Liliana Garcia, Eugenia Marti
Summary: Climate change predictions indicate increased frequency and duration of summer low flows and water scarcity in Southern Europe. This study experimentally manipulated stream discharge and found that reduction of stream discharge can affect the metabolism of forested lowland streams, with potential consequences for energy flow and organic matter dynamics.
FRESHWATER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sara Castelar, Susana Bernal, Miquel Ribot, Stephanie N. Merbt, Marta Tobella, Francesc Sabater, Jose L. J. Ledesma, Helena Guasch, Anna Lupon, Esperanca Gacia, Jennifer D. Drummond, Eugenia Marti
Summary: Intermittent Mediterranean streams receiving WWTP effluent inputs exhibit temporal and spatial variation in net nutrient uptake. Consideration of the receiving stream's dilution capacity is crucial for managing wastewater inputs and preventing saturation of in-stream nutrient uptake capacity under low flow conditions in urban landscapes.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jennifer D. Drummond, Susana Bernal, Warren Meredith, Rina Schumer, Eugenia Marti
Summary: The relevance of wastewater treatment plant effluents in fluvial networks is increasing with urbanization. Urban-sourced fine particles from the effluents can deposit and accumulate in streambed sediment, fueling biogeochemical reactions and CO2 emissions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Pok Man Leung, Anne Daebeler, Eleonora Chiri, Iresha Hanchapola, David L. Gillett, Ralf B. Schittenhelm, Holger Daims, Chris Greening
Summary: This study demonstrates that Nitrospira bacteria can oxidize hydrogen below atmospheric levels using a high-affinity hydrogenase enzyme. The hydrogen oxidation promotes nitrite-dependent growth and survival under nitrite limitation conditions. Thermodynamic modeling shows that hydrogen oxidation produces higher power yield than nitrite oxidation at low substrate concentrations and significantly contributes to growth at elevated nitrite concentrations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Halbach, Lou-Anne Chevrollier, Eva L. Doting, Joseph M. Cook, Marie B. Jensen, Liane G. Benning, James A. Bradley, Martin Hansen, Lars C. Lund-Hansen, Stiig Markager, Brian K. Sorrell, Martyn Tranter, Christopher B. Trivedi, Matthias Winkel, Alexandre M. Anesio
Summary: This study investigates the effects of pigmented algae on the surface of glaciers and ice sheets, finding that they enhance solar energy absorption and amplify ice melt. The main pigments were purpurogallin and astaxanthin esters, which affected dissolved organic matter concentrations. The energy absorption of snow algae was much lower than expected due to pigment packaging, while glacier ice algae had significantly higher energy absorption. Snow algae may contribute up to 13% of total biological radiative forcing on bare ice.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nuria Catalan, Ruben del Campo, Matthew Talluto, Clara Mendoza-Lera, Giulia Grandi, Susana Bernal, Daniel von Schiller, Gabriel Singer, Enrico Bertuzzo
Summary: Streams and rivers act as bioreactors processing large quantities of particulate organic matter. Climate change impacts the flow regime, affecting the decomposition and transport of organic matter. This study explored the consequences of lateral hydrological contraction on the decomposition and transport of organic matter in river networks.
Article
Biology
James A. Bradley, Christopher B. Trivedi, Matthias Winkel, Rey Mourot, Stefanie Lutz, Catherine Larose, Christoph Keuschnig, Eva Doting, Laura Halbach, Athanasios Zervas, Alexandre M. Anesio, Liane G. Benning
Summary: Glacier and ice sheet surfaces are home to diverse microbial communities that influence biogeochemical cycles and ice melting. Using molecular analyses and incubations, this study found that a high proportion of active bacteria are present on snow and ice surfaces, even when frozen. These findings have important implications for understanding the impact of climate change on polar regions and for studying potential life on icy worlds, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of microbial activity on glacier surfaces.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Jose De la Fuente, Rodrigo De la Iglesia, Laura Farias, Benjamin Glasner, Felipe Torres-Rojas, Diana Munoz, Holger Daims, Michael Lukumbuzya, Ignacio T. Vargas
Summary: Municipal and industrial wastewater discharges in coastal and marine environments can lead to eutrophication, but bioelectrochemical re-actors (BERs) using graphite granules as electrodes have shown promise in simultaneously removing nitrogen and carbon. This study successfully enriched nitrifying and denitrifying microorganisms in marine BERs using electrochemical methods, improving nutrient removal efficiency.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lluis Gomez-Gener, Marina Gubau, Daniel von Schiller, Rafael Marce, Biel Obrador
Summary: Through studying four temperate small hydropower plants, we found that the residence time of impounded water in the reservoir has a significant impact on the carbon emissions of the plants. The power installed in the plants does not play a significant role in the net carbon fluxes. Therefore, comprehensive net carbon footprint assessments accounting for different operation designs are necessary to improve our understanding of the environmental effects of small hydropower plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Alice Retter, Johannes Christoph Haas, Steffen Birk, Christine Stumpp, Bela Hausmann, Christian Griebler, Clemens Karwautz
Summary: Rivers represent only a small portion of freshwater resources, with groundwater being the majority. Analyzing microbial communities in shallow groundwater ecosystems is crucial for understanding their impact on ecosystem functioning. This study analyzed samples from the Mur River valley in Austria and Slovenia to characterize the prokaryotic communities in river water and groundwater. The results showed significant differences in community composition and species turnover, with dispersal limitation and homogeneous selection being the main drivers of community assembly in different regions. Land use also played a key role in shaping the composition of groundwater microbiome.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Thomas R. Neu, Ute Kuhlicke, Clemens Karwautz, Tillmann Lueders
Summary: This study investigated a methane-driven microbial community and discovered previously unknown gelatinous snottite structures. By using a combination of fluorescence techniques and confocal laser scanning microscopy, the complex architecture of these biofilms was examined, revealing the presence of various bacteria and glycoconjugates. Further research is recommended to explore the characteristics of these unconventional microbial biofilms.
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jennifer D. Drummond, Jose Goncalves, Tomas Aquino, Susana Bernal, Esperanca Gacia, Ion Gutierrez-Aguirre, Valentina Turk, Maja Ravnikar, Stefan Krause, Eugenia Marti
Summary: The presence of bacteria and viruses in freshwater poses a global health risk. This study examines the abundance of microbes in benthic sediment and demonstrates the dynamic role of sediment as both a store and source of microbes in an intermittent stream. The findings highlight the spatial and temporal variability of microbial presence in freshwater.