Article
Microbiology
Tatsunori Nakagawa, Mori Koji, Akira Hosoyama, Atsushi Yamazoe, Yuki Tsuchiya, Shingo Ueda, Reiji Takahashi, David A. Stahl
Summary: Strain NM25T is a novel mesophilic and aerobic ammonia-oxidizing archaeon of the phylum Thaumarchaeota. It has rod-shaped cells with an S-layer cell wall, and utilizes ammonia oxidation for energy. It is most closely related to Nitrosopumilus ureiphilus PS0T, with genome relatedness of 85.4% based on average nucleotide identity. The strain represents a new species of the genus Nitrosopumilus.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Emma Bell, Tiina Lamminmaki, Johannes Alneberg, Chen Qian, Weili Xiong, Robert L. Hettich, Manon Frutschi, Rizlan Bernier-Latmani
Summary: Microbial life and active anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) have been discovered in the deep terrestrial subsurface of the Fennoscandian Shield at Olkiluoto, Finland. This finding provides direct evidence of microbial activity fueled by methane and sulfur in deep bedrock.
Article
Ecology
Olivia E. Mosley, Emilie Gios, Murray Close, Louise Weaver, Chris Daughney, Kim M. Handley
Summary: The nitrogen cycle plays a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems, including the subsurface. However, the diversity of nitrogen transformations in these environments is not well understood. This study investigated how nitrogen cycling microorganisms respond to different groundwater chemistries. The results showed that regardless of site-specific conditions, nitrogen cycling mechanisms were prevalent and highly redundant in groundwater communities. The study also revealed the presence of oxic-anoxic interfaces and potential synergistic interactions between microorganisms at these interfaces. The findings provide insights into cooperative relationships in groundwater communities and the complexity of metabolic mechanisms leading to nitrogen loss.
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. J. Gonzalez-Cortes, A. Valle, M. Ramirez, D. Cantero
Summary: Nitrification-denitrification is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for treating landfill leachates. This study found that the nitritation rates of nitrifying biomass were reduced after adaptation to landfill leachates with heavy metals and high salt concentrations. The analysis of biomass samples revealed the presence of specific bacterial genera and families involved in nitritation and denitrification processes.
WASTE AND BIOMASS VALORIZATION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sebastian Euler, Luke C. Jeffrey, Damien T. Maher, Scott G. Johnston, Ryo Sugimoto, Douglas R. Tait
Summary: Subterranean estuaries (STEs) are coastal biogeochemical reactors that provide unique habitats for microbial communities. This study used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to evaluate the spatial distribution of microbial communities involved in transforming greenhouse gases and nutrients in an STE. The results showed that methane-producing organisms were most prevalent at the terrestrial end, while nitrifying and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were abundant in the mixing zone. The concentrations of methane, ammonium, and dissolved organic carbon all decreased significantly along the transect from land to ocean. This study highlights the hidden microbial zonation in STEs and emphasizes the importance of microbial transformations in nutrient and greenhouse gas fluxes to coastal ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Jorien Favere, Raquel G. Barbosa, Tom Sleutels, Willy Verstraete, Bart De Gusseme, Nico Boon
Summary: Human activities and climate change can degrade freshwater quality and availability, impacting the biostability of drinking water. The traditional strategies of using disinfectants and removing organic carbon may not be sufficient in maintaining a steady and high-quality drinking water supply in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider the concept of drinking water biostability as a dynamic equilibrium based on nutrient availability and bacterial community composition.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marco Herrmann, Robin Sur
Summary: The study evaluated the environmental fate of DMS in soil and groundwater, finding total attenuation factors of 12-93 from leachate at 1 m depth to monitoring wells close to raw water collection. When considering further concentration attenuation downwards to raw water collection site, the overall attenuation factor is even higher (40-246).
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
John Farmer, Patrick A. Sawyerr, Jingkuan Wang
Summary: Agronomic practices such as long-term plastic film mulching and fertilization significantly influence soil microbial communities. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea dominate in areas where these practices are employed, especially in non-fertilized treatments, leading to increased bacterial richness.
ARCHIVES OF AGRONOMY AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Stephanie J. Wilson, Bongkeun Song, Iris C. Anderson
Summary: Sandy sediment beaches are important for nutrient cycling in the land-ocean continuum. Subterranean estuaries (STEs) within these beaches play a crucial role in biogeochemical reactions and the fate of nutrients. This study found that geochemical gradients influence the microbial community structure and abundance of nitrifying organisms in STEs, which is important for determining the transport of groundwater-derived nutrients to coastal waters.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Manxi Liu, Lu Xia, Ruinan Liu, Zongjun Gao, Cong Han, Jianguo Feng, Jing Wang, Wanlong Qu, Tongju Xing
Summary: The study found that artificially added denitrifying microbes can effectively promote denitrification of nitrate nitrogen, especially in anaerobic environments with added carbon sources, achieving a removal rate as high as 89.52%.
JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liangfu Wei, Zhenming Li, Guang Ye, Luuk C. Rietveld, Doris van Halem
Summary: Calcium-based materials showed strong affinity for fluoride, with higher adsorption capacity, while softening pellets performed poorly due to their dense structure. The mechanisms of fluoride uptake varied among different materials.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lenno van den Berg, Mario Pronk, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Merle K. de Kreuk
Summary: This study compared four methods to measure the density of granular sludge in a full-scale plant treating domestic sewage, and assessed the effect of salinity on granule density. Most methods yielded reliable results, as long as the effect of salinity was considered.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Aina Soler-Jofra, Lisbeth Schmidtchen, Lluc Olmo, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Julio Perez
Summary: This study investigates the short and long term impact of hydroxylamine on partial nitritation granular sludge. The results indicate that dissolved oxygen is the main factor determining the impact of hydroxylamine. Short term hydroxylamine feeding with low dissolved oxygen leads to higher hydroxylamine accumulation and N2O production, while long term hydroxylamine feeding reduces ammonium consumption rate.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
T. Prot, L. Korving, M. C. M. Van Loosdrecht
Summary: In a wastewater treatment plant, the composition of sludge streams in the liquid phase varies with time and place. This study aims to evaluate the potential for the formation of precipitates and equilibria for weak acids/bases by determining the ionic strength and chemical composition. Based on a literature review, the concentration ranges for the major constituents of the liquid phase in different streams are proposed, and the reasons for concentration evolution and exceptional cases are discussed. The ionic strength and the contribution of its constituents are calculated, and the utilization of ionic strength in literature is also examined.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Vojtech Kouba, Kamila Hurkova, Klara Navratilova, Dana Kok, Andrea Benakova, Michele Laureni, Patricie Vodickova, Tomas Podzimek, Petra Lipovova, Laura van Niftrik, Jana Hajslova, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, David Gregory Weissbrodt, Jan Bartacek
Summary: In the study of the performance of anammox reactions under low-temperature conditions, membrane composition and cultivation temperature were found to be closely related to the activity of anammox biomasses. The adaptation of mesophilic cultures to low-temperature conditions may take several months or even up to 5 years. An interesting finding in these studies is that biomass enriched in the marine genus Candidatus Scalindua showed outstanding potential for nitrogen removal from cold streams.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Laurence Strubbe, Edward J. H. van Dijk, Pascalle J. M. Deenekamp, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Eveline I. P. Volcke
Summary: In the pursuit of reducing carbon footprint and energy costs, energy efficiency is crucial. This study focused on aerobic granular sludge reactors and found that they consume up to 50% less energy compared to conventional activated sludge systems. The study also investigated the dynamic behavior of the alpha factor and identified exchange ratio and temperature as the main influencing factors on its rate of increase during the aeration phase.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sadiye Kosar, Onur Isik, Busra Cicekalan, Hazal Gulhan, Seyma Cingoz, Mustafa Yoruk, Hale Ozgun, Ismail Koyuncu, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Mustafa Evren Ersahin
Summary: Achieving a neutral/positive energy balance without compromising discharge standards is a key goal in wastewater treatment plants. This study explores the coupling of high-rate activated sludge (HRAS) process with aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process as an energy-efficient pre-treatment option. The results show that feeding the AGS process with a mixture of HRAS process effluent and raw municipal wastewater can increase energy recovery potential and maintain high effluent quality.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jose Andres Araya-Obando, Luuk C. Rietveld, Daniel E. Kelly-Coto, Andrea Quesada-Gonzalez, Andrey Caballero-Chavarria, Luis G. Romero-Esquivel
Summary: Biofilters are effective for drinking water treatment, but the ripening time for manganese removal is a concern. The influence of flow regime on the ripening time of virgin pumice media was investigated. Flow-through columns achieved effective manganese removal (>90%) after 8 days, while recirculating columns took 23 days. The start-up in recirculating regime reduced water consumption by about 50% compared to flow-through regime.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Amir Tabakovic, Jeremy Lemmens, Jelmer Tamis, Dave van Vliet, Sayeda Nahar, Willem Suitela, Mark van Loosdrecht, Greet Leegwater
Summary: Bitumen is essential in asphalt pavements for its binding properties and ability to restore damage caused by traffic loading. With the decline in crude oil production, there is a need to find environmentally sustainable alternatives for bitumen modifiers. This paper investigates the potential use of the bio-based co-polymer PHBV as an alternative bitumen modifier and presents positive results from various tests.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Navid Ahmadi, Mona Abbasi, Ali Torabian, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Joel Ducoste
Summary: The transformation of four pharmaceuticals in a moving bed biofilm reactor was investigated under different COD/N ratios. Changes in the COD/N ratio influenced the competition between heterotrophic and nitrifying communities, resulting in shifts in microbial populations and composition in the biofilms. Autotrophic conditions exhibited higher transformation rates, indicating the importance of nitrification.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Nam Kyeun Kim, Debes Bhattacharyya, Mark van Loosdrecht, Yuemei Lin
Summary: This research developed a bio-based flame retardant using a biopolymer derived from wastewater sludge to enhance the fire performance of polypropylene (PP). The study found that the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from wastewater sludge played a significant role in improving the char formation of PP composite. The incorporation of the bio-based flame retardant restricted the vertical burning characteristics of PP and improved its tensile moduli.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xi Bai, Inez J. T. Dinkla, Gerard Muyzer
Summary: This study found that both DNA and RNA data should be considered when studying the microbial communities in slow sand filters (SSF). The microbial communities in the Schmutzdecke layer were influenced by the influent water and shared a core microbiome among different filters. Indicator organisms associated with the age of Schmutzdecke were also identified.
Article
Microbiology
Muhe Diao, Cherel Balkema, Maria Suarez-Munoz, Jef Huisman, Gerard Muyzer
Summary: Changes in stratification and mixing events have a significant impact on the nitrogen cycle of seasonally stratified lakes. This study investigated the succession of nitrogen-transforming microorganisms in Lake Vechten over a period of 19 months and found that their abundance and activity varied with the seasonal stratification pattern. The results suggest that global warming-induced changes in stratification and vertical mixing are likely to alter the nitrogen cycle of seasonally stratified lakes.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Suyash Gupta, Rieks de Rink, Johannes B. M. Klok, Gerard Muyzer, Caroline M. Plugge
Summary: This study identified the active microbial community members in the BD system by comparing DNA-based and RNA-based sequencing results, and found that the combination of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and sulfide concentration in the anoxic reactor played a significant role in shaping the microbial communities.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Bin Lin, Luuk C. Rietveld, Lu Yao, Sebastiaan G. J. Heijman
Summary: This study demonstrates that Fenton cleaning in ceramic nanofiltration can effectively remove cake layer fouling on the membrane, but has limited efficacy in removing adsorptive fouling. The findings provide new insights into the evaluation and optimization of oxidative cleaning in ceramic NF for water treatment.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Rong-Gui Zhu, Chang-Gui Pan, Feng-Jiao Peng, Chao-Yang Zhou, Jun-Jie Hu, Kefu Yu
Summary: This comprehensive survey investigated the occurrence, bioaccumulation, and trophic magnification of parabens and their metabolite 4-HB in a marine food web. Results showed that parabens were the predominant pollutants in marine organisms, with significant bioaccumulation from sediments. The estimated trophic magnification factor indicated biomagnification for MeP and trophic dilution for 4-HB. Overall, the risks for humans consuming marine organisms were found to be low.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Andres F. Torres-Franco, Deborah Leroy-Freitas, Cristina Martinez-Fraile, Elisa Rodriguez, Pedro A. Garcia-Encina, Raul Munoz
Summary: Anaerobic and microalgae-based technologies have emerged as sustainable alternatives for municipal wastewater treatment. However, the presence of viruses in the treated wastewater is a major concern for reuse applications. This study assessed the ability of these technologies to reduce viruses during secondary wastewater treatment. The results showed that all technologies were effective in reducing the concentration of viruses, with microalgae-based treatment exhibiting the highest potential for reducing the disinfection requirements of treated wastewater.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Young Gwang Kim, Sae Yun Kwon, Spencer J. Washburn, Scott C. Brooks, Ji Won Yoon, Lucien Besnard
Summary: The study uses Hg isotope ratios to identify the sources and exposure pathways of mercury in bivalves, finding that dissolved Hg phases in the water column are the primary source and exposure pathway to bivalves. This provides new insights into using bivalves as bioindicators for sediment quality monitoring.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hui Geng, Ying Xu, Rui Liu, Dianhai Yang, Xiaohu Dai
Summary: This study investigates the effect of cation exchange resin (CER) on the sequential recovery of hydrogen and methane from anaerobic digestion (AD) and the corresponding mechanisms. The results show that CER can simultaneously enhance the production of hydrogen and methane by promoting the solubilisation, hydrolysis, and acidification of organic matter. Additionally, CER facilitates effective contact between bacteria and organic particulates and reduces the energy barrier for mass transfer during methane production. The study also reveals changes in the microbial community structure and metagenomics during the AD process.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojing Lin, Zhan Jin, Shunfeng Jiang, Zhiquan Wang, Suqing Wu, Ke Bei, Min Zhao, Xiangyong Zheng
Summary: Dehumidification combined with addition of absorbent resin supplement (ARS) was used to achieve rapid evaporation of non-pretreated urine, resulting in high water evaporation efficiency and nutrient recovery.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yangli Che, Chaoran Lin, Shen Li, Jiao Liu, Longhai Zhu, Shilei Yu, Nan Wang, Haoshuai Li, Mutai Bao, Yang Zhou, Tonghao Si, Rui Bao
Summary: Hydrodynamic processes play a crucial role in the transmission of sediments, microbial assembly, and organic carbon redistribution in the ocean. Through experiments and analysis, we found that hydrodynamics shape the assembly of microbial communities and control the redistribution of different sourced organic carbon, thereby influencing microbial-mediated biogeochemical transformation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chao Chen, Yu Yang, Nigel J. D. Graham, Zhenyu Li, Xingtao Yang, Zhining Wang, Nadia Farhat, Johannes S. Vrouwenvelder, Li -an Hou
Summary: The fouling of seawater reverse osmosis membranes is a persistent challenge in desalination. This study monitored the operational performance of a desalination plant for 7 years and the fouling development in different areas of membrane modules. The findings showed that operational performance declined over time and fouling mainly occurred at the feed side of the modules, with the highest microbial diversity. Keystone species like Chloroflexi and Planctomycetes played an important role in maintaining community structure and biofilm maturation. Polysaccharides, soluble microbial products, marine humic acid-like substances, and inorganic substances contributed to fouling. Overall, biofouling had a significant impact on membrane fouling after 7 years of operation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dan Li, Jieyi Sun, Yibo Fu, Wentao Hong, Heli Wang, Qian Yang, Junhong Wu, Sen Yang, Jianhui Xu, Yunfei Zhang, Yirong Deng, Yin Zhong, Ping'an Peng
Summary: Sulfidation-oxidation treatment of magnetite (Fe3O4) enhances the production of dark center dot OH, which can efficiently degrade dissolved organic matter (DOM) and accelerate carbon cycling.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cheng Yu, Kaijun Wang, Kaiyuan Zhang, Ruiyang Liu, Pingping Zheng
Summary: This study implemented a microaerobic-aerobic configuration in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility and investigated the effects on sludge characteristics, pollutant removal, microbial community, and granulation mechanisms. The results showed successful transition from flocculent-activated sludge to well-defined AGS after two months of operation. The primary pathways for pollutant removal were simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal. Moreover, the incorporation of internal separators induced shifts in the flow pattern, which promoted granulation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhe Zhang, Shaoyang Hu, Guangrong Sun, Wei Wang
Summary: Halogenated aromatic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), such as halogenated phenols, have garnered widespread attention due to their high toxicity and prevalence. This study reports on the analysis, occurrence, and cytotoxicity of a group of emerging halogenated aromatic DBPs, known as halogenated polyhydroxyphenols (HPPs), in drinking water.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shengyue Chen, Jinliang Huang, Peng Wang, Xi Tang, Zhenyu Zhang
Summary: Accurate prediction of river water quality is crucial for sustainable water management. This study introduces wavelet analysis and transfer learning techniques to assist LSTM modeling, proposing a newly coupled modeling approach that improves short-term prediction of river water quality.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bang Du, Xinmin Zhan, Piet N. L. Lens, Yifeng Zhang, Guangxue Wu
Summary: Efficient anaerobic digestion relies on the cooperation of different microorganisms with different metabolic pathways. This study investigated the effects of different operational modes and the addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) on ethanol metabolic pathways. The results showed that the SBR mode and the presence of CO2 facilitated ethanol metabolism towards propionate production, while the CFR mode with extended solids retention time enriched Geobacter. Adjusting operational modes and PAC addition can modulate anaerobic ethanol metabolism and enrich Geobacter.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wanfa Wang, Si-Liang Li, Jun Zhong, Yuanbi Yi, Fujun Yue, Zenglei Han, Qixin Wu, Ding He, Cong-Qiang Liu
Summary: This study compares the carbon biogeochemical processes in karst and non-karst regions within large thermal stratified river-reservoir systems. The results demonstrate that karst reservoirs have a reduced potential for carbon emissions and highlight the importance of considering geologic settings to improve accuracy in regional and global CO2 emission estimates.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chunxia Jiang, Zelong Zhao, Dong Zhu, Xiong Pan, Yuyi Yang
Summary: This study analyzed the occurrence and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different environmental media of the Yangtze River using metagenomics. Core resistome dominated by multidrug resistance genes was found in all samples, while rare resistome dominated by various resistance genes was more prevalent in plasmids. Specific bacteria were identified as hosts for both core and rare resistomes, with high clinical concern ARGs found in the rare resistome. Particle-associated environment provided the most ideal conditions for resistome hosts. This study provided insights into the genetic locations of ARGs and the community assembly mechanisms of ARG hosts in freshwater environments.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yu Zhang, Yongtao He, Linchun Jia, Lei Xu, Zheng Wang, Yueling He, Ling Xiong, Xumeng Lin, Hong Chen, Gang Xue
Summary: By synergizing organic carbon source, thiosulfate, and zero-valent iron, efficient mixotrophic denitrification of oligotrophic secondary effluent can be achieved. Thiosulfate plays a vital role in promoting TN removal efficiency, while corrosion of Fe0 releases OH- to neutralize H+ from thiosulfate-driven denitrification, creating a suitable environment for denitrification. The coordination of thiosulfate and Fe0 maintains the dominance of Thiobacillus for denitrification.