Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maria Teresa Santos, Pedro Andre Lopes
Summary: The industrial sector produces large amounts of sludge, which can be treated and recovered using various methods. Through experiments, it was found that anaerobic co-digestion followed by the production of heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production is the most promising method.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Anna Christine Trego, Simon Mills, Gavin Collins
Summary: Anaerobic digestion is recognized as a sustainable method for waste management, producing methane-rich biogas. Different specialized granules, including anaerobic and aerobic granules, have opened up new opportunities in wastewater treatment and resource recovery biotechnology. Each type of granule has unique characteristics, biochemical processes, and microbial community compositions.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nhlanganiso Ivan Madondo, Sudesh Rathilal, Babatunde Femi Bakare, Emmanuel Kweinor Tetteh
Summary: The application of a bioelectrochemical system together with anaerobic additives can promote both direct and indirect interspecies electron transfer, leading to higher removal of toxic pollutants and conversion of biomass to renewable energy. This review explores the synergistic effect of bioelectrochemical systems and anaerobic additives on the anaerobic digestion of complex substrates. It highlights the mechanisms and limitations of conventional anaerobic digestion and the applicability of additives in various activities of the digestion process. The findings suggest that a bioelectrochemical system coupled with nanomaterial additives can increase biogas-methane potential compared to anaerobic digestion, indicating the potential prospects of this system for wastewater treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniele Cecconet, Matia Mainardis, Arianna Callegari, Andrea G. Capodaglio
Summary: According to new paradigms of urban wastewater management, energy savings and resources recovery from sewage will be increasingly important. Anaerobic processes are more energy efficient than conventional aerobic ones and are suitable for recovering embedded organic energy. The study operated a pilot UASB reactor at low temperatures to treat municipal wastewater and evaluated its performance and economic benefits.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dafne Crutchik, Javiera Barboza, Jose Ramon Vazquez-Padin, Alba Pedrouso, Angeles Val del Rio, Anuska Mosquera-Corral, Jose Luis Campos
Summary: Food waste is a major component of municipal solid waste and its sustainable management is a global challenge. Co-treatment of food waste and urban wastewater in wastewater treatment plants can reduce landfill disposal while converting organic waste into biogas. However, this co-treatment can increase capital and operating costs due to the higher sludge production. This study analyzed different scenarios for co-treatment of food waste and wastewater from economic and environmental perspectives, and found that its feasibility depends on the ratio of management costs between municipal solid waste and sewage sludge.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Amr Mustafa Abdelrahman, Muhammed Furkan Aras, Busra Cicekalan, Malhun Fakioglu, Seyma Cingoz, Safak Basa, Huseyin Guven, Hale Ozgun, Izzet Ozturk, Ismail Koyuncu, Jules B. van Lier, Eveline I. P. Volcke, Mustafa Evren Ersahin
Summary: This study found that treating A-stage sludge was more efficient in terms of methane production and methanogenic activity compared to treating primary sludge. Introducing an A-stage treatment can significantly increase the recovery of organic matter in wastewater as methane.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Akash P. Bhat, Parag R. Gogate
Summary: Cavitation-based pre-treatment processes can improve the efficiency of biological treatment, with notable benefits such as reduction in COD for wastewater and enhanced biodegradability index. Additionally, for sludge, it can lead to smaller particle sizes, increased soluble COD and disintegration, and higher biomethane production potential.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Yulin Zhang, Yulin Wang, Mingxi Tang, Jizhong Zhou, Tong Zhang
Summary: This paper conducted a global meta-analysis of microbial dark matter (MDM) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), revealing the high proportion of MDM in WWTPs. The study also proposed a wanted list for priority targets in further investigations of activated sludge and verified the effectiveness of several genome mining methods. The methodology proposed in this study can be applied to other ecosystems, enhancing our understanding of ecosystem structure across diverse habitats.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hong Zhang, Wenduo Yuan, Qin Dong, Di Wu, Pingjin Yang, Yun Peng, Lei Li, Xuya Peng
Summary: Ammonia inhibition is a common cause of instability in commercial biogas plants. This study used metagenomics and metaproteomics analyses to investigate the sensitivity of different functional bacteria to ammonia stress, their ability to adapt to ammonia stress, and the key phylotypes affecting anaerobic digestion (AD) performance.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Marco Chiappero, Francesca Cillerai, Franco Berruti, Ondrej Masek, Silvia Fiore
Summary: This study compared the effects of six different biochars on anaerobic digestion of mixed wastewater sludge, demonstrating that biochars with specific physical and chemical properties play a positive role in increasing methane production.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wenbo Kong, Mohammed Jalalah, Saeed A. Alsareii, Farid A. Harraz, Abdulrhman A. Almadiy, Yuanzhang Zheng, Nandini Thakur, El-Sayed Salama
Summary: This review covers the identification, distribution, and abundance of different types of microplastics (MPs) in all units of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). It discusses the impact of MPs on microbial communities and functional enzymes of anaerobic digestion (AD). The mechanisms of MPs' impact on AD are highlighted.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Isaac Volschan Junior, Ronei de Almeida, Magali Christe Cammarota
Summary: The debate on adapting sewage treatment objectives to circular economy and sustainability concepts has intensified, with a focus on promoting more efficient energy and resource use in wastewater treatment. Anaerobic digestion has become a viable technology for producing renewable energy, particularly through the generation of biogas in sewage treatment units and anaerobic sludge digestion. Recent advances in technology for inducing biogas generation in anaerobic digesters, including pretreatment methods and co-digestion, are discussed in terms of mechanisms, advantages, drawbacks, and technical and economic aspects. Biological pretreatment and co-digestion are identified as more promising strategies in terms of efficiency and costs.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xingdong Shi, Wei Wei, Lan Wu, Bing-Jie Ni
Summary: This review comprehensively summarizes the mechanisms of ZVI for enhancing nutrients removal in biological wastewater treatment, discusses the role of ZVI in improving excess sludge reduction for methane production, and analyzes the feasibility of recovering phosphorus from anaerobic sludge digestion system through using ZVI. Additionally, knowledge gaps regarding the application of ZVI in sludge or wastewater treatment are identified to facilitate further development of ZVI-based biological technology.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pabel Cervantes-Aviles, J. Beatriz Duran Vargas, Shinichi Akizuki, Toshimitsu Kodera, Junichi Ida, German Cuevas-Rodriguez
Summary: The study found that titanium dioxide nanoparticles had minimal impact on the performance of UASB reactors, with a slight increase in biogas production but stable methane content and organic matter removal. It is worth noting that sludge containing nanoparticles may have harmful effects on the environment.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chao Rong, Tianjie Wang, Zibin Luo, Yu -You Li
Summary: The study investigated sludge production and greenhouse gas emissions from AnMBRs treating municipal wastewater at seasonal temperatures. The results showed that the AnMBR achieved good COD removal and methane and sludge yields. The study also assessed the GHG emissions of a full-scale AnMBR plant and found that significant energy recovery reduced emissions.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alma Siggins, Camilla Thorn, Mark G. Healy, Florence Abram
Summary: This study investigated the potential for environmental micro-organisms to establish a TCE-dechlorinating biofilm on biochar, using a packed column system containing herbal pomace and spruce biochar. The results showed that biochar was capable of supporting a dechlorinating biofilm to promote bioremediation of TCE, with TCE removal rates greater than 99.7% observed.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Anna Christine Trego, Paul G. McAteer, Corine Nzeteu, Therese Mahony, Florence Abram, Umer Zeeshan Ijaz, Vincent O'Flaherty
Summary: The study utilized null-model approaches to investigate community assembly mechanisms in the built environment, focusing on biological wastewater treatment. Significant differences in diversity were observed between floating and settled granules, with both stochastic and deterministic processes playing important roles in community assembly. Homogeneous selection was identified as the primary mechanism, with dispersal processes also contributing. The analysis highlighted changes in microbial community composition during process disturbances, emphasizing the importance of certain groups for process stability.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rajat Nag, Bryan K. Markey, Paul Whyte, Vincent O'Flaherty, Declan Bolton, Owen Fenton, Karl G. Richards, Enda Cummins
Summary: The study in Ireland collected data on prevalence estimates of various pathogens in different animal species, revealing the highest mean P for Cryptosporidium spp., MAP, and Campylobacter spp. in cattle. The study also calculated the initial concentration of pathogens in animal feces and slurry, providing a basis for future farm-to-fork risk assessment models.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rajat Nag, Ciaran Monahan, Paul Whyte, Bryan K. Markey, Vincent O'Flaherty, Declan Bolton, Owen Fenton, Karl G. Richards, Enda Cummins
Summary: This study developed a quantitative risk assessment model for Escherichia coli transmission through the air exposure route, predicting human exposure levels and emphasizing the importance of maintaining distance and waiting time to ensure occupational safety.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rajat Nag, Lauren Russell, Stephen Nolan, Agathe Auer, Bryan K. Markey, Paul Whyte, Vincent O'Flaherty, Declan Bolton, Owen Fenton, Karl G. Richards, Enda Cummins
Summary: Farmyard manure and slurry, as well as anaerobic digestate, are valuable soil conditioners providing essential nutrients for plant growth, but they may also pose microbial health risks to humans. A quantitative microbial risk assessment model was developed to investigate potential human exposure to pathogens post-application, revealing low risk probabilities in most scenarios.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rajat Nag, Agathe Auer, Stephen Nolan, Lauren Russell, Bryan K. Markey, Paul Whyte, Vincent O'Flaherty, Declan Bolton, Owen Fenton, Karl G. Richards, Enda Cummins
Summary: This study developed an exposure assessment model to predict the final microorganism count in digestate using a combination of primary laboratory data and secondary literature-based data. Results show that digestate can meet EU standards under certain temperature and retention time conditions; storage of digestate can decrease microorganism levels; the Irish pasteurisation process is more effective for certain pathogens.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Corine Orline Nzeteu, Fabiana Coelho, Anna Christine Trego, Florence Abram, Javier Ramiro-Garcia, Lara Paulo, Vincent O'Flaherty
Summary: The efficient production of caproic acid can be achieved by manipulating the inoculum and adjusting the concentration and ratio of lactic acid and butyric acid. A threshold concentration of lactic acid to butyric acid was found, above or below which the selectivity for caproic acid is reduced.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
C. Deveautour, P. A. Rojas-Pinzon, M. Veloso, J. Rambaud, A. M. Duff, D. Wall, R. Carolan, L. Philippot, K. G. Richards, V O'Flaherty, F. Brennan
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of abiotic and biotic factors on potential denitrification and identified soil physico-chemical properties and prokaryotic community composition as key factors in predicting potential denitrification. Soil phosphorus content was equally important in predicting potential denitrification.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kevin McDonnell, Florence Abram, Enda Howley
Summary: This study focuses on using machine learning models to identify amino acids in mass spectrometry spectra and proposes a new encoding module. By evaluating the proposed model in real and artificial data with different noise and missing peptide peaks, it is found that the model performs best among others. The study also discusses the inclusion of additional features and the issue with using AUC as a metric in the encoding modules.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Parvin Hasani Zadeh, Fernando G. Fermoso, Gavin Collins, Antonio Serrano, Simon Mills, Florence Abram
Summary: Harnessing microbial capabilities for metal recovery from secondary waste sources is an eco-friendly and sustainable approach. Soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are important for remediation and recovery of metals. Microorganisms can regulate the content and composition of EPS and SMP in response to metal stress to increase their capacity for metal binding. Investigating the metal binding affinity of these compounds under metal stress conditions is crucial for selective metal recovery applications.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Matthias Waibel, Kevin McDonnell, Maria Tuohy, Sally Shirran, Sylvia Synowsky, Barry Thornton, Eric Paterson, Fiona Brennan, Florence Abram
Summary: Soil organic matter (SOM) is complex and important for providing nutrients to plants. Understanding SOM utilisation processes can improve fertiliser management for plant growth and reduce environmental losses. Metaproteomics can characterise protein profiles and provide insights into SOM microbial decomposition mechanisms. This study applied different extraction methods to recover SOM with different characteristics in two soil types and analysed peptide identification using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed contrasting protein and humic substance content in different extracts, and diverse peptide hits associated with Proteobacteria and derived taxa. This work suggests areas for optimisation in chromatography and mass spectrometry to characterise SOM-associated metaproteomes.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kevin McDonnell, Enda Howley, Florence Abram
Summary: Proteins are crucial for living cells and proteomics, the study of their expression, has diverse applications. Peptide identification is typically done by matching mass spectra to a protein database, but de novo methods can also be used. This study critically analyzes the use of artificial data for training and evaluating de novo peptide identification algorithms.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kevin McDonnell, Enda Howley, Florence Abram
Summary: Proteomics is a technique used to study system-wide protein expression, which has wide ranging applications and impacts every area of biology. De novo peptide sequencing, a popular method, is improving with the integration of machine learning. This research evaluates two algorithms for de novo peptide sequencing and explores the characteristics of tandem mass spectra. The study highlights the challenges of missing cleavage sites and noise, and provides recommendations for algorithm improvements.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Lauren Russell, Paul Whyte, Annetta Zintl, Stephen V. Gordon, Bryan Markey, Theo de Waal, Stephen Nolan, Vincent O'Flaherty, Florence Abram, Karl Richards, Owen Fenton, Declan Bolton
Summary: This study examined the survival of various bacteria in sandy and clay loam soils when applied in bovine slurry or digestate, finding that soil texture and application material did not significantly affect survival rates for most bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(2022)
