Self-regulating adaptability of biofilm microbiomes enhances manganese and ammonia removal in microbial electrochemical filters under dioxane exposure.

Understanding the stability and assemblage of biofilm microbiomes under oligotrophic conditions is critical for improving groundwater bioremediation. In this study, a novel microbial electrochemical filter (MEF) was developed to explore the impact of weak electrical stimulation on functional adaptability of biofilms under oligotrophic and 1,4-dioxane exposure conditions. Under 20 mg/L 1,4-dioxane stress, the MEF achieved 94.

Simultaneous denitrification and phosphorus removal in MBfR with methane as the sole carbon source.

Aerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification (AME-D) employed in membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) is a promising strategy to reduce methane emission and enhance denitrification in wastewater treatment. However, focusing on enhancing nitrogen removal efficiency during AME-D has consistently overlooked the changes in phosphorus (P), and the underlying microbiome assembly mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the MBfR was established to simultaneously enhance methane oxidation, denitrification, and P removal by the AME-D process under seasonal temperatures.

Enhancing E. coli removal in mesophilic anaerobic digestion: New insights from inoculum comparison and metagenomic analysis.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) process removes most pathogenic bacteria. However, the dominant mechanisms of E. coli removal remain unclear in AD systems.

Reassessing systemic blind spots in modern water disinfection paradigms.

Disinfection plays a crucial role in ensuring healthcare and the safety of drinking water and sewage reuse. However, our current understanding of the factors influencing disinfection remains incomplete. This review offers a comprehensive examination of the often-neglected aspects in disinfection, such as micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), bacterial states, quorum sensing, and horizontal gene transfer.

Bromate-reducing capability of nitrate/nitrite-dependent methane driven membrane biofilm reactors.

Bromate (BrO₃⁻) contamination poses a significant environmental and health risk, often coexisting with nitrate pollution in water sources. As a sustainable wastewater treatment strategy, methane-driven removal of oxidized contaminants removal has emerged as a promising low-carbon solution. However, interactions between bromate and nitrate reduction remain poorly understood.

Biomanufacturing of hydrogen from waste molasses: A full-scale application.

Biomanufacturing of hydrogen by acidogenic fermentation presents a promising avenue for sustainable hydrogen production; however, data on its full-scale application remain limited. Here we evaluate the performance of a 100 m continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) utilizing waste molasses and inoculated with aerobic excess sludge for hydrogen production. The reactor operated at 35 °C with a constant hydraulic retention time of 5.

AMP1-1 derived from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz prevents bone aging triggered by lead and cadmium.

As the major pollutants of industrial wastewater, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contaminate the environment and lead to bone aging when combined. To elucidate the potential mechanism by which Pb and Cd accelerate bone aging and to screen effective protective agents, we determined the optimum concentrations of Pb and Cd to establish the aging models in vitro and in vivo. The successful establishment of aging models was confirmed through β-galactosidase (β-gal) staining, the detection of aging markers, and the evaluation of biomechanical parameters.

Spatial Variations of Atmospheric Alkylated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons across the Western Pacific to the Southern Ocean: Unexpected Increasing Deposition.

Spatial variations of atmospheric alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Alk-PAHs) are key to understanding their long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT). However, limited Alk-PAHs data have hindered their LRAT characterizations on a global scale. In this study, 49 Alk-PAHs were measured in the atmospheric samples collected across the Western Pacific to the Southern Ocean.

Comprehensive assessment of 45 antibiotics in ten urban wastewater treatment plants in Northeastern China: Terminal treatment is not a reliable guard.

The increasing presence of antibiotics in urban wastewater has raised significant concerns. Therefore, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) face questions about their ability to reliably and effectively remove antibiotics. In this study, data from ten representative WWTPs were systematically evaluated to assess antibiotic occurrence, removal efficiencies, seasonal variations, and ecological risks, revealing the prevalent instability in antibiotic removal capacities of traditional WWTPs.

Versatile nitrate-respiring heterotrophs are previously concealed contributors to sulfur cycle.

Heterotrophic denitrifiers play crucial roles in global carbon and nitrogen cycling. However, their inability to oxidize sulfide renders them vulnerable to this toxic molecule, which inhibits the key enzymatic reaction responsible for reducing nitrous oxide (NO), thereby raising greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we applied microcosm incubations, community-isotope-corrected DNA stable-isotope probing, and metagenomics to characterize a cohort of heterotrophic denitrifiers in estuarine sediments that thrive by coupling sulfur oxidation with denitrification through chemolithoheterotrophic metabolism.

Promoting caproate production using anaerobically digested sludge-derived biochar: Performances, mechanisms, and environmental impacts.

Carbon chain elongation offers a promising pathway for converting waste resources into caproate. However, challenges in yield and selectivity have limited its broader application. To address these limitations, anaerobically digested sludge-derived biochar (ADS-B) was incorporated into the carbon chain elongation process.

Microbial manganese redox cycling drives co-removal of nitrate and ammonium.

Manganese (Mn), abundant in the Earth's crust, can act as an oxidant or a reductant for diverse nitrogen biotransformation processes. However, the functional microorganisms and their metabolic pathways, as well as interactions, remain largely elusive. Here, a microbial consortium was enriched from a mixture of freshwater sediments and activated sludge by feeding ammonium, nitrate and Mn(II), which established manganese-driven co-removal of nitrate and ammonium with removal rates of 5.

Thermophilic anaerobic ethane oxidation coupled with selenate and selenite reduction.

Anaerobic microorganisms are critical in regulating ethane in geothermal environments, where selenate and selenite are common contaminants. Although coupling ethane oxidation with selenate reduction has been demonstrated as feasible, such processes remain poorly explored in geothermal environments. This study addressed this gap by successfully enriching thermophilic anaerobic cultures capable of coupling ethane oxidation with selenate/selenite reduction, achieving selenate and selenite removal rate of 2.

Differentiation of the Anammox core microbiome: Unraveling the evolutionary impetus of scalable gene flow.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria (AAOB), distinguished by their unique autotrophic nitrogen metabolism, hold pivotal positions in the global nitrogen cycle and environmental biotechnologies. However, the ecophysiology and evolution of AAOB remain poorly understood, attributed to the absence of monocultures. Hence, a comprehensive elucidation of the AAOB-dominated core microbiome, anammox core, is imperative to further completing the theory of engineered nitrogen removal and ecological roles of anammox.

Cockroach Blaptica dubia biodegrades polystyrene plastics: Insights for superior ability, microbiome and host genes.

The report demonstrated that a member of cockroach family, Blaptica dubia (Blattodea: Blaberidae) biodegraded commercial polystyrene (PS) plastics with M of 20.3 kDa and M of 284.9 kDa.

Linking performance to dynamic migration of biofilm ecosystem reveals the role of voltage in the start-up of hybrid microbial electrolysis cell-anaerobic digestion.

Applied voltage is a crucial parameter in hybrid microbial electrolysis cells-anaerobic digestion (MEC-AD) systems for enhancing methane production from waste activated sludge (WAS). This study explored the impact of applied voltage on the initial biofilm formation on electrodes during the MEC-AD startup using raw WAS (Rr) and heat-pretreated WAS (Rh). The findings indicated that the maximum methane productivity for Rr and Rh were 3.

Nitrite-driven anaerobic ethane oxidation.

Ethane, the second most abundant gaseous hydrocarbon in vast anoxic environments, is an overlooked greenhouse gas. Microbial anaerobic oxidation of ethane can be driven by available electron acceptors such as sulfate and nitrate. However, despite nitrite being a more thermodynamically feasible electron acceptor than sulfate or nitrate, little is known about nitrite-driven anaerobic ethane oxidation.

Enterobacter sp. HIT-SHJ4 isolated from wetland with carbon, nitrogen and sulfur co-metabolism and its implication for bioremediation.

Both autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification are known as important bioprocesses of microbe-mediated nitrogen cycle in natural ecosystems. Actually, mixotrophic denitrification co-driven by organic matter and reduced sulfur substances are also common, especially in hypoxic environments such as estuarine sediments. However, carbon, nitrogen and sulfur co-metabolism during mixotrophic denitrification in natural water ecosystems has rarely been reported in detail.

Genome and metabolome analysis of Bacillus sp. Hex-HIT36: A newly screened functional microorganism for the degradation of 1-hexadecene in industrial wastewater.

1-Hexadecene has been detected at a level of mg/L in both influent and effluent of wastewater treatment plants situated in chemical/pharmaceutical industrial parks, which poses a potential threat to the environment. However, few reports are available on aerobic metabolic pathways and microorganisms involved in 1-Hexadecene degradation. In this study, a new strain of 1-Hexadecene-degrading bacteria, Bacillus sp.

The generation and transformation mechanisms of reactive oxygen species in the environment and their implications for pollution control processes: A review.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), substances with strong activity generated by oxygen during electron transfer, play a significant role in the decomposition of organic matter in various environmental settings, including soil, water and atmosphere. Although ROS has a short lifespan (ranging from a few nanoseconds to a few days), it continuously generated during the interaction between microorganisms and their environment, especially in environments characterized by strong ultraviolet radiation, fluctuating oxygen concentration or redox conditions, and the abundance of metal minerals. A comprehensive understanding of the fate of ROS in nature can provide new ideas for pollutant degradation and is of great significance for the development of green degradation technologies for organic pollutants.

Regulatory Mechanisms of Quorum Sensing System of Bacteria in Response to Chlorine and Ozone Disinfection.

Waterborne pathogens invariably present considerable threats to public health. The quorum sensing (QS) system is instrumental in coordinating bacterial growth and metabolisms. However, the responses and regulatory mechanisms of bacteria to various disinfection technologies through quorum sensing are still unclear.

Microbiome and antibiotic resistome in bioelectrochemical toilets for onsite treatment of fecal sludge.

Effective management of fecal sludge (FS) is essential for preventing environmental and public health risks. Developing safe and efficient FS treatment technology is crucial for reducing the health risks of onsite sanitation systems. In this study, bioelectrochemical toilets (BETs) were developed to treat FS onsite.