Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaodan Gu, Yong Huang, Yuting Hu, Wenhui Huang, Miao Zhang
Summary: Stable partial nitrification is still challenging to achieve under mainstream conditions. The study found that a low nitrite concentration is crucial for suppressing the growth of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and there is a significant correlation between nitrite levels and the percentage of NOB in bacterial communities.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mei Zhi, Mengjiao Ou, Yucheng Chen, Yeyuan Xiao, Zhongbo Zhou
Summary: Nitrite accumulation in algal-bacterial consortia without aeration was evaluated in this study. Two different algal-bacterial systems (PSBR and PUSB) were operated and non-aerated partial nitrification was observed. Higher nitrite accumulation was achieved in PSBR due to enrichment of Phormidium and Leptolyngbya and inhibition of Nitrospira. PUSB showed more intensive interspecific interactions and potential contribution of partial denitrification to nitrite accumulation. This study advances our understanding of the partial nitrification process and nitrite accumulation by algal-bacterial consortia.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tianli Ma, Cheng Cheng, Lizhen Xing, Yuepeng Sun, Guangxue Wu
Summary: A better understanding of r-/K-strategists nitrifiers is crucial for optimizing the design and operation of bioprocesses for wastewater treatment. This study investigated the nitrite oxidation biokinetics, biofilm properties, microbial community, and quorum sensing (QS) in nitrifying biofilms from a continuously flow reactor (CFR) and a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The results revealed different nitrite half saturation constants and dominant nitrite-oxidizing taxa in the CFR and SBR. Additionally, the biofilm properties and AHL signaling substances were significantly different between the two reactors. The insights gained from this study provide valuable information on the molecular mechanisms and adaptation of Nitrospira in different biokinetic environments.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tianli Ma, Cheng Cheng, Lizhen Xing, Yuepeng Sun, Guangxue Wu
Summary: A better understanding of r-/K-strategists nitrifiers will help to balance the design and operation of bioprocesses for efficient pollution removal from wastewater. The study investigated the biokinetics, biofilm property, microbial community, and quorum sensing (QS) of nitrifying biofilm in a continuously flow reactor (CFR) and a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Results showed that Nitrospira and Candidatus Nitrospira defluvii were the dominant nitrite-oxidizing taxa in both reactors. The biofilm in SBR had higher ratios of polysaccharide and protein in extracellular polymeric substances and higher thickness compared to CFR. AHLs-based QS might affect the formation of nitrifying biofilm and contribute to the different biokinetics of Nitrospira in CFR and SBR.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shuohui Shi, Xuejie He, Lei He, Xing Fan, Bin Shu, Jian Zhou, Qiang He
Summary: The A/O/A process is a promising biotechnology for denitrification in low C/N wastewater, but the rate-limiting step of nitrification is often neglected. Heterotrophic nitrification driven by intracellular carbon (PHAs) can enhance nitrification and achieve ESND in the A/O/A process. This study investigated the feasibility of this approach and proposed a potential SND pathway based on heterotrophic nitrification and denitrification driven by PHAs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Irem Uslu, Huseyin Yazici
Summary: This study investigated the use of nitrification inhibition as a concentrating step for ammonium, aiming to increase the potential for simultaneous recovery of phosphate and ammonium from effluent streams. The results showed that nitrification inhibition allowed the effluent ammonium concentrations to increase, enabling consecutive recovery of phosphate and ammonium from the effluent discharges.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tiantian Hu, Yongzhen Peng, Chuansheng Yuan, Qiong Zhang
Summary: The novel SPNEDpr system operated for 213 days in a sequencing batch reactor to treat real domestic sewage, achieving efficient nutrient removal and the formation of aerobic granular sludge through optimizing intermittent aeration conditions. The system provided a highly efficient and economical method for treating urban sewage.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Miao Zhang, Jing Gao, Yajun Fan, Quanlong Liu, Chenjie Zhu, Liying Ge, Chengda He, Jun Wu
Summary: This study compared two types of continuous stirred tank moving bed biofilm reactors (ST-MBBR) and plug flow MBBR (PF-MBBR) for nitrification, finding that the PF-MBBR had strong temperature shock resistance and a higher ammonium oxidation ratio, while the ST-MBBR had higher average biomass and biofilm thickness. Different operation modes led to lower nitrite accumulation ratio in the PF-MBBR, and nitrification kinetics revealed contrasting performances due to temperature shock.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xinwei Su, Xiao-rong Zhu, Jianwei Li, Lei Wu, Xiyao Li, Qiong Zhang, Yongzhen Peng
Summary: A model was developed to investigate the PD process and was calibrated and validated using batch tests results. The results showed rapid decreases in COD and nitrate concentrations in the first four hours, followed by constant levels from 4 to 8 hours. The increase in C/N ratios and the reduction in XH were found to contribute to the increase in nitrite transformation rate.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Zhiqi Wang, Jingfeng Gao, Da Zhang, Huihui Dai, Yifan Zhao, Dingchang Li, Yingchao Cui, Wanjun Duan, Zejie Wu
Summary: This study demonstrated the feasibility of achieving partial nitrification in real domestic wastewater using the novel inhibitor chloroxylenol (PCMX). Different treatment strategies had varying effects on the maintenance of partial nitrification, with the concentrative time strategy proving to be more effective. Additionally, the risks of using PCMX were assessed and found to be minimal, with almost no detectable PCMX in the effluent of mainstream sequencing batch reactors.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Abdolmotaleb Seid-mohammadi, Ghorban Asgari, Mohammad Rafiei, Mohammad Thaghi Samadi, Fatemeh Nouri, Meghdad Pirsaheb, Fateme Asadi
Summary: The study used non-thermal plasma and aerobic granules to treat landfill leachate, with the plasma reactor showing high efficiency in removing heavy metals and quasi-metals. However, the removal efficiency of COD decreased with different concentrations and hydraulic retention times, indicating the potential of aerobic granules in reducing organic load and heavy metals. Further full-scale studies at landfill sites are recommended for heavy metal and organic loading reduction, presenting new research opportunities for different contaminants in leachate from various landfill areas.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Jenifer Benavides Sanchez, Marianna Vuono, Davide Dionisi
Summary: This study compared the performance of CAS and SBR processes in treating wastewater with different substrate compositions through mathematical modeling, finding that under certain conditions, SBR can remove COD and ammonia nitrogen from wastewater more effectively than CAS.
COMPUTERS & CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mingjing Zeng, Yu Zeng, Binchao Zhang, Yuanyuan Cheng, Bei Long, Junfeng Wu, Shuai Ren, Yong Liu
Summary: The performance of endogenous/exogenous nitrification and denitrification in treating inorganic wastewater with high ammonia nitrogen concentration was investigated. It was found that the addition of external carbon sources improved the adaptability of aerobic granules and increased the removal efficiency of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN). The coupling of endogenous/exogenous nitrification and denitrification reduced the consumption of aeration, saved external carbon source dosage, and decreased alkalinity consumption. This study provides an alternative option for treating wastewater from ionic rare earth mines.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fen Wang, Sihan Xu, Lingjie Liu, Siyu Wang, Min Ji
Summary: The study investigated a one-stage partial nitrification and anammox process in a lab-scale biofilm reactor, observing that temperature variations have an impact on nitrogen removal efficiency and microbial community structure.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Magray Owaes Hassan, Khalid M. Gani, Sheena Kumari, Oluyemi Awolusi, Lethintokozo Gumede, Mohammed Seyam, Faizal Bux
Summary: This study investigates various strategies for the start-up of partial nitrification and stable suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. Controlling the dissolved oxygen level during intermittent aeration and pH plays a crucial role in achieving partial nitrification.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
K. Wisniewski, A. di Biase, G. Munz, J. A. Oleszkiewicz, J. Makinia
BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
F. Spennati, M. Mora, V. Tigini, S. La China, S. Di Gregorio, D. Gabriel, G. Munz
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesco Spennati, Andrea Ricotti, Gualtiero Mori, Giovanna Siracusa, Simone Becarelli, Simona Di Gregorio, Valeria Tigini, Giovanna Cristina Varese, Giulio Munz
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Bardi, Q. Yuan, G. Siracusa, S. Becarelli, S. Di Gregorio, V. Tigini, D. B. Levin, G. Petroni, G. Munz
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2019)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alberto Mannucci, Cecilia Caretti, Iacopo Ducci, Claudio Lubello, Riccardo Gori, Ester Coppini, Giulio Munz
INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION & BIODEGRADATION
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giovanna Siracusa, Qiuyan Yuan, Ilaria Chicca, Alessandra Bardi, Francesco Spennati, Simone Becarelli, David Bernard Levin, Giulio Munz, Giulio Petroni, Simona Di Gregorio
Article
Engineering, Environmental
F. Spennati, M. Mora, A. Bardi, S. Becarelli, G. Siracusa, S. Di Gregorio, D. Gabriel, G. Mori, G. Munz
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alessandro di Biase, Fabio Santo Corsino, Tanner Ryan Devlin, Michele Torregrossa, Giulio Munz, Jan A. Oleszkiewicz
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lorenzo Mazzoli, Giulio Munz, Tommaso Lotti, Matteo Ramazzotti
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesco Spennati, Salvatore La China, Giovanna Siracusa, Simona Di Gregorio, Alessandra Bardi, Valeria Tigini, Gualtiero Mori, David Gabriel, Giulio Munz
Summary: This study demonstrated that a microbial community dominated by fungi could be successfully maintained in a pilot-scale packed-bed reactor fed with tannery wastewater under non-sterile conditions. The reactor, inoculated with a pure culture of Aspergillus tubingensis and Quebracho tannin as sole carbon source during start-up, achieved significant removal of COD and DOC from the tannery wastewater. The evolution of the microbial consortium and its adaptation to the support media size were examined throughout the experiment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cecilia Polizzi, David Gabriel, Giulio Munz
Summary: Partial denitrification is a valuable solution for NO2- supply in Anammox systems. By controlling influent S/N ratio and sludge retention time (SRT), sulphide-driven Partial Autotrophic Denitrification (PAD) can achieve high conversion efficiencies of NO2-. The study also found that stable S-limiting conditions favor the enrichment of Sulphur Oxidizing Bacteria (SOB).
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cecilia Polizzi, Serena Falcioni, Alberto Mannucci, Gualtiero Mori, Arianna Nardi, Francesco Spennati, Giulio Munz
Summary: The present study successfully integrated an innovative online continuous titrimeter and plant-wide modelling as a support tool for the optimization of the nitrification unit in a large-scale industrial wastewater treatment plant. The combination of the online titrimeter and historical data modelling provided real-time information, assisting in optimizing the economic and environmental costs of the wastewater treatment plant.
CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
C. Polizzi, T. Lotti, A. Ricoveri, G. Mori, D. Gabriel, G. Munz
Summary: The potential inhibitory effect of biologically pre-treated vegetable tannery wastewater (TW) on anammox granular biomass was studied. The high salinity and tannins concentration in vegetable TW were found to be the main inhibitory factors. Salinity at a conductivity of 10 mS/cm had the greatest impact on the specific anammox activity. The results suggest that there are no technical limitations for using the anammox process for vegetable TW, but preliminary biomass acclimation and regular activity monitoring are recommended for long-term applications.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
C. Polizzi, T. Lotti, A. Ricoveri, R. Campo, C. Vannini, M. Ramazzotti, D. Gabriel, G. Munz
Summary: This study highlights the importance of controlling mineral precipitation on granular sludge systems treating wastewaters prone to inert precipitation to ensure long-term stability. Severe mineral precipitation on the granules' surface can lead to deteriorated reactor performance and biomass activity, with potential mechanisms including substrate diffusion limitation, insufficient mixing, and biofilm erosion. Gravimetric selection proved effective in restoring process performance affected by mineral precipitation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cristiana Sigona, Alessandra Bardi, Letizia Modeo, Gualtiero Mori, Alexey Potekhin, Franco Verni, Giulio Munz, Giulio Petroni
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.
