Article
Energy & Fuels
Mozhdeh Alipour, Hossein Asadi, Chengrong Chen, Ali Asghar Besalatpour
Summary: The use of biochar and hydrochar as organic soil fertilizers is increasing in popularity, but little research has been done on the removal of organic pollutants. This study found that pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization are promising methods for removing organic pollutants from sludges, particularly with pyrolysis at high temperatures leading to complete removal of the pollutants.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Michalis Koutinas, Maria Kyriakou, Kostas Andreou, Michalis Hadjicharalambous, Efstathios Kaliviotis, Dimitris Pasias, George Kazamias, Costas Varavvas, Ioannis Vyrides
Summary: Pseudomonas citronellolis SJTE-3 is a highly efficient microorganism capable of degrading and valorizing drilling fluids wastewater. It produces biosurfactants and polyhydroxyalkanoates to enhance bioconversion, demonstrating high biodegradation efficiency and removal efficiency.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jaroslav Mosko, Michael Pohorely, Tomas Cajthaml, Michal Jeremias, Ana A. Robles-Aguilar, Siarhei Skoblia, Zdenek Beno, Petra Innemanova, Lucie Linhartova, Klara Michalikova, Erik Meers
Summary: The study focused on using slow pyrolysis to treat organic pollutants in stabilized sewage sludge, finding that temperatures above 600 degrees Celsius effectively removed the majority of organic pollutants. It was proposed that high temperature (>600 degrees Celsius) slow pyrolysis can satisfactorily remove organic pollutants from resulting sludge-char, making it a safe soil improver.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiaxing Lu, Jian Zhang, Huijun Xie, Yuming Jing, Mingde Ji, Zhen Hu
Summary: In this study, a novel wastewater treatment process combining sequencing batch reactor, constructed wetland and microalgal membrane photobioreactor (BCM process) was proposed. The process achieved satisfactory removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their substituted derivatives (SPAHs), and significantly reduced bacterial toxicity and genotoxicity. Microalgae played an important role in ensuring water security.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Havva Ates, Mehmet Emin Argun
Summary: The study found that the SCWO process has high potential for degrading PAHs, effectively removing some PAHs, especially those with lower ring numbers. However, the high removal efficiencies of COD do not directly affect the removal of PAHs.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Emanne Rashad, Hadeer N. Saleh, Abdelazeem S. Eltaweil, Maher E. Saleh, Mika Sillanpaa, Alaa R. Mostafa
Summary: Biochar is an efficient bio-sorbent for removing pollutants from wastewater, and this study focuses on its adsorption efficacy for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Three different biochar adsorbents were synthesized from pinewood sawdust and their morphologies and compositions were analyzed. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the equilibrium was well described by Langmuir and Freundlich's models. The removal efficiency of PAHs reached approximately 90%, showing promising potential for wastewater treatment.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Kawthar Mostafa Moria, Hifsa Khurshid, Muhammad Raza Ul Mustafa, Areej Alhothali, Omaimah Omar Bamasag
Summary: The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wastewater, especially acenaphthene (ACN), has become a major concern due to their potential negative health effects. This study used activated carbon from oil palm leaves to remove ACN from wastewater through adsorption. The optimization of pH, activated carbon dosage, and contact time was conducted using response surface methodology (RSM) combined with central composite design (CCD). The results showed that pH 7, an activated carbon dosage of 2.62 g/L, and a contact time of 71.67 min were the optimal conditions for achieving a removal efficiency of 98.88%. The RSM model was found to be significant, allowing for the prediction and verification of the adsorption results.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenjing Shi, Hui Gong, Weiqi Zhou, Xuejun Tan, Chen Zhang, Xiaohu Dai
Summary: The objective of this study was to compare the distribution and ecological risk of PAHs in the sewage collection and treatment system of four cities in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The results showed that the mean concentration of 16 sigma PAHs was higher in sewer sediments than in sewage sludge. The major sources of PAHs in sewage sludge were petroleum sources, coal tar, and coking activities, while PAHs in sewer sediments primarily came from wood combustion, automobile emissions, and diesel engine emissions. Both sewage sludge and sewer sediments had medium ecological risk based on the assessment of sigma PAHs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiaxing Lu, Zizhang Guo, Mengting Li, Mingyu He, Jianyuan Zhen, Bing-Jie Ni, Jian Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the effect of suitable substrates on the removal of PAHs in constructed wetlands. One of the wetland systems (CW-D) achieved satisfactory and stable PAHs removal by 23.80%-31.18% compared to the control group after 120 days of operation. Microbial degradation was identified as the main PAHs removal mechanism, and the increased proportion of microbial degradation in CW-D resulted in higher PAHs removal. Root length and microbial diversity were found to be the two driving factors affecting PAHs removal. This study provides comprehensive insights into the importance of suitable substrates, as well as the related mechanism and driving factors for PAHs removal in constructed wetlands.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaoyan Bai, Haichuan Sun, Jian Sun, Zhihua Zhu
Summary: The electrochemical Fe2+-activated peroxymonosulfate oxidation process was investigated for removing PAHs from TDS. The results showed that under specific reaction conditions, the PAHs in the sludge could be effectively removed, with low-ring PAHs being degraded preferentially over high-ring PAHs.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Pengfei Huang, Xuemei Wang, Jiali Zhao, Zhen Zhang, Xinzhen Du, Xiaoquan Lu
Summary: This study successfully developed a hollow Co-MOF-74 incorporated electrospun nanofiber membrane and a homemade filter device to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from aqueous solutions. The prepared H-NFMs exhibited high removal efficiency and reusability, while the introduced H-Co-MOF-74 material had a large surface area and hollow structure that enhanced adsorption performance. By loading H-Co-MOF-74 in nanofiber membranes, the resulting H-NFMs showed high hydrophobicity, good mechanical and thermal stability, and could be easily recycled after adsorption.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Paulina Godlewska, Patryk Oleszczuk
Summary: The study found that biochar derived from a mixture of SL and biomass (SLW) had a better effect on the persistence and bioavailability of PAHs in soil compared to biochar derived solely from sewage sludge (SL).
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ayman N. Saber, Ridha Djellabi, Imen Fellah, Nesrine Abderrahim, Claudia L. Bianchi
Summary: In this study, CuO-M/H2O2/light system was used for the purification of coking wastewater containing PAHs and SPAHs, resulting in the removal of 91% of total pollution after two treatment runs. Mechanistic pathways such as adsorption & shuttle process, ROSs generation by photoactive CuO, and photo-Fenton ROSs generation contributed to the effective removal of PAHs and SPAHs.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ayman N. Saber, Haifeng Zhang, Ashraful Islam, Min Yang
Summary: This study reports the occurrence, fates, and carcinogenic risks of SPAHs and PAHs in two coking wastewater treatment plants, revealing that biological treatment processes effectively remove MPAHs, OPAHs, and NPAHs. Transformation and adsorption were identified as major mechanisms for removing different types of PAHs and SPAHs. Concerns were raised over the relatively high concentrations of SPAHs in excess sludge and treated effluent, as well as the potential lung cancer risks posed by the presence of SPAHs in the ambient air.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mengjie Zhao, Bing Tang, Liying Bin, Ping Li, Shaosong Huang, Fenglian Fu
Summary: This investigation studied the presence, distribution, and removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the textile wastewater treatment process in the Pearl River Delta Region, South China. The results showed that all 16 PAHs could be found in dissolved and adsorbed states, except for acenaphthylene in suspended solids. The different molecular weights of PAHs affected their distribution and removal. Higher molecular weight PAHs were easier to remove in the sedimentation step. These findings are important for assessing environmental risks.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shad D. Mills, Martha Mamo, Sabrina J. Ruis, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Walter H. Schacht, Tala Awada, Xu Li, Pamela Sutton
Summary: Roadside vegetation faces challenges in establishment due to adverse soil conditions, with high sodium concentration and compaction at the road edge being the leading factors limiting vegetation growth. Soil properties improved with increasing distance from the road.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shahab Karimifard, Xu Li, Christian Elowsky, Yusong Li
Summary: The study demonstrates that the overall permeability of porous media, flow pathways, and overall/local pressure gradients are highly dependent on biofilm ratio and biofilm permeability when biofilm levels are high and intermediate. However, the impact of biofilm porosity is moderate in these cases. Simplified biofilm geometries can provide reasonable approximations of permeability when biofilm structures are well developed.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
L. Fan, L. Constantin, Z. P. Wu, K. A. McElveen, X. G. Chen, T. He, F. Wang, C. Debiemme-Chouvy, B. Cui, R. Y. Lai, X. Li, J. F. Silvain, Y. F. Lu
Summary: The study demonstrates an effective method for maintaining lattice integrity during the growth of highly conductive boron-doped diamonds through laser vibrational excitation of a growth-critical radical. The boron-doped diamonds show improved crystallinity, high conductivity, and enhanced glucose sensing efficiency. Laser excitation in the doping process could potentially remove bottlenecks in the semiconductor industry.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria C. Hall, Jon Duerschner, John E. Gilley, Amy M. Schmidt, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Kent M. Eskridge, Xu Li
Summary: This study analyzed the impact of different pit additives and disinfectants on antibiotic resistance genes in swine manure slurry, finding that disinfectants were more effective in controlling the abundance of ARGs compared to additives.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zachery R. Staley, Christopher Y. Tuan, Kent M. Eskridge, Xu Li
Summary: This study tested a novel heat-based technology by stockpiling beef cattle manure on conductive concrete slabs to reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. Results showed a significant reduction in total Escherichia coli and enterococci, as well as a decrease in ARGs presence in the heated piles.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bo Li, Xu Li, Tao Yan
Summary: The study developed a quantitative metagenomic next-generation sequencing (qmNGS) approach that utilizes internal DNA standards for accurate high-throughput gene quantification. The qmNGS approach demonstrated excellent linearity and comparable performance to qPCR, making it a useful tool for high-throughput and accurate gene quantification in environmental samples.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zachery R. Staley, Bryan L. Woodbury, Bobbi S. Stromer, Amy M. Schmidt, Daniel D. Snow, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Bing Wang, Xu Li
Summary: This study compared the efficacy of composting and stockpiling in reducing ARB and ARGs in beef cattle manure, finding that bulking agents used in composting may introduce ARB and ARGs, and that the efficacy of composting may be hindered by temperature heterogeneity in colder months.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Renys E. Barrios, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Yusong Li, Xu Li
Summary: This study found that after the application of beef cattle manure, the attachment of ARGs in the soil was significantly higher in the treatment column than in the control column. However, the detachment and decay coefficients were not significantly changed due to manure application. These results suggest that in areas where manure is applied, some manure-borne bacteria-associated ARGs will be attached to the soil instead of leaching to groundwater in the near term.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Renys E. Barrios, Chin Lim, Megan S. Kelley, Xu Li
Summary: Wastewater based epidemiology has been used to monitor COVID-19 hotspots at the zip code level, revealing different hotspots during two surges. Highly localized disease surveillance methods can enhance public health prevention and mitigation measures at the community level.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bo Li, Xu Li, Bing Wang, Tao Yan
Summary: This study introduces a population metagenomic approach to study antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their mobility in specific bacterial populations. The approach combines selective cultivation, next generation sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis to study ARGs and their association with mobile genetic elements (MGEs). The study demonstrates the usefulness of this approach in studying the E. coli population in cattle manure samples and shows the correspondence between ARGs and resistance phenotypes.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Noelle A. Mware, Maria C. Hall, Selvakumar Rajendran, John E. Gilley, Amy M. Schmidt, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Yifan Zhang, Xu Li
Summary: Land application of livestock manure introduces antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) into the soil environment. This study found that setback distance is crucial in reducing the overall abundance of ARGs and MGEs in amended plots and surface runoff. Background soil gradually became the primary source of ARGs and MGEs in surface runoff as setback distance increased.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Linsey Donner, Zachery R. Staley, Jonathan Petali, Jodi Sangster, Xu Li, Wayne Mathews, Daniel Snow, Adina Howe, Michelle Soupir, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt
Summary: One Health field-based approaches are needed to study the linkage between antibiotics and bacterial antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. Water samples from two Nebraska watersheds influenced by wastewater effluent and agricultural runoff were tested, and ARGs associated with the presence of antibiotics were detected in Gram-negative bacteria through whole-genome sequencing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mohammadreza Shafieifini, Yuepeng Sun, Zachery R. Staley, Jean-Jack Riethoven, Xu Li
Summary: WWTPs are a major source of ARGs, where treated wastewater bacteria can horizontally transfer ARGs to receiving water bacteria. The growth rate and nutrient level significantly influence the frequency of conjugation and resulting resistance levels.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bo Li, Min Ki Jeon, Xu Li, Tao Yan
Summary: Livestock manure is a significant source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) which can be affected by changes in salinity levels. A study was conducted to understand the impact of salinity changes on the fate of ARGs by adjusting the salinity of cattle manure and stockpiling it at different salinity levels for 44 days. The relative abundance of certain ARGs showed a downward trend over time at lower salinity levels but not at higher salinity levels. The metagenomic analysis suggested that osmotic stress resistance and ARGs may be co-selected or transferred through mobile genetic elements.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ting He, Jianguo Bao, Yifei Leng, Shuqiong Kong, Jiangkun Du, Xu Li
Summary: This study investigated the synergistic benefits of adsorption and biotransformation in removing DC from water using rice straw particles covered with DC degrading bacteria. The results demonstrated that DC can be quickly adsorbed onto the particles and subsequently biotransformed by the bacteria.
