Effects of drinking water treatment residual amendment to biosolids on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances leachability.

Public concerns exist over whether land application of biosolids is a pathway of introducing large amounts of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) into terrestrial ecosystems. Ongoing research is investigating a variety of high organic matter (OM) and Al/Fe phases for use as amendments to reduce PFAS leaching from matrices including biosolids. Drinking water treatment residuals (DWTRs) have characteristics (e.

Extraction and Quantification of Microplastics Contained Within Al, Fe and Ca Drinking Water Treatment Residuals.

Drinking water treatment residuals (DWTRs) are waste products generated during drinking water treatment. DWTR composition is typically dominated by either aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), or iron (Fe) compounds, depending on the coagulant used at the source facility. Most commonly disposed of via landfill, the beneficial reuse of DWTRs as soil amendments and construction materials is desired yet complicated by the potential presence of contaminants, including microplastics (MPs).

Spectroscopic investigation of the speciation of phosphorus forms entering and leaving Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas.

Five large-scale treatment wetlands, the Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs), have been constructed in south Florida to reduce phosphorus (P) transport into the Florida Everglades. While the STAs have successfully reduced P entering downstream waterbodies by at least 77%, concentrations in outflow waters still exceed target values in many cases. It has been well documented that P compounds have varying effects on biotic and abiotic processes due to differing stability, bioavailability, and transport characteristics, making it critical to understand the nature of different P pools for improving long-term treatment wetland performance.

Sorption and degradation processes of imidacloprid in Florida soils.

Imidacloprid (IDP) is an active ingredient of the Admire brand pesticide used to control the vector (Asian citrus psyllid) that transmits the causative organism Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) for citrus greening or huanglongbing disease. Imidacloprid products are applied via soil drench where citrus roots are mostly concentrated which is between 0 and 60 cm depth. These soil depths exhibit different characteristics that may affect IDP leaching beyond the rooting zone.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water treatment residuals: Occurrence and desorption.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in surface and ground waters supplying municipal drinking water are a growing concern. However, PFAS concentrations in water treatment residuals (WTRs)-a solid by-product of water treatment-have yet to be explored. In a first of its kind assessment, we examine PFAS occurrence in seven calcium (Ca)-, iron-, and aluminum-based drinking water treatment residuals (DWTRs) and one wastewater effluent treatment residual (WWETR) produced using aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH).

Effects of drinking water treatment residual amendments to biosolids on plant uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Drinking water treatment residuals (DWTRs), solid by-products of drinking water treatment, are dominated by calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), or aluminum (Al), depending on the coagulant used. DWTRs are often landfilled, but current research is exploring options for beneficial reuse. Previous studies have shown that Al- and Fe-rich materials have potential to reduce the mobility of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS release from wastewater residuals as a function of composition and production practices.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of highly persistent contaminants that have been linked to human health effects at low exposure concentrations. Public concerns exist that land-application of biosolids may result in the release of PFAS into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The relative importance of inorganic constituents such as Fe and Al, which are known to impact PFAS retention/release behavior in soils, on PFAS release from wastewater residuals (WWRs, i.

The Importance of Fostering and Funding Scientific Research, and its Relevance to Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

What do environmental contaminants and climate change have in common with the virus SARS-CoV-2 and the disease COVID-19? We argue that one common element is the wealth of basic and applied scientific research that provides the knowledge and tools essential in developing effective programs for addressing threats to humans and social-ecological systems. Research on various chemicals, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, resulted in regulatory action to protect environmental and human health. Moreover, decades of research on coronaviruses, mRNA, and recently SARS-CoV-2 enabled the rapid development of vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trophic transfer of PFAS from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) to tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) caterpillars.

PFASs are highly persistent in the environment and the potential exists for terrestrial biota to accumulate PFAS, which may result in exposure of higher trophic level organisms to these compounds through consumption. However, trophic transfer of proteinophilic compounds such as PFAS has not been extensively studied and the degree to which plant-accumulated PFAS will be transferred to herbivorous consumers is unclear. Here, we exposed Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) plants to a suite of 7 different PFAS, including 4 carboxylic acids (PFOA, PFHxA, PFHpA and PFDA) and 3 sulfonates (PFBS, PFHxS and PFOS).

Copper stress alleviation in corn (Zea mays L.): Comparative efficiency of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanoparticles.

Copper (Cu) stress is one of the predominant crop yield-reducing factors in agriculture. Application of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) could have promotive effects on crop growth; however, their effects on alleviation of Cu stress for plants have rarely been documented. In this study, we investigated the comparative role of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) in corn (Zea mays) seed germination, seedling growth as well as Cu stress alleviation.

Transport and retention of polymeric and other engineered nanoparticles in porous media.

Increasing applications of nanoparticles (NPs) in agriculture have raised potential risks to soil and aquatic ecosystems. A comparative study examining the transport of commonly used NPs in porous media is of critical significance for their application and regulation in agroecosystems. In this study, laboratory column leaching experiments were conducted to investigate the transport and retention of polysuccinimide NPs (PSI-NPs) in two saturated porous media with different grain sizes, as compared with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), nano-Ag and nano-TiO.

Correlating soil nutrient test lead with bioaccessible lead in highly-contaminated soils receiving lead-immobilizing amendments.

Lead (Pb) is one of the most common metals exceeding human health risk guidelines for soil concentrations worldwide. Pb bioaccessibility is known to vary depending on soil physiochemical characteristics and, as a result, in vitro and in vivo tests exist that are used to estimate bioaccessible Pb in contaminated soils. Although in vitro tests such as the relative bioaccessibility leaching procedure (RBALP) present simpler and more cost-effective risk assessments than in vivo methods, soil tests such as Mehlich-3, Modified Morgan, and ammonium bicarbonate-diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (AB-DTPA) extractions are extremely routine and even more cost-effective.

Effect of biosolids characteristics on retention and release behavior of azithromycin and ciprofloxacin.

Azithromycin (AZ) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) are commonly prescribed antibiotics frequently detected in municipal biosolids and identified by the USEPA as contaminants of emerging concern. The land application of municipal biosolids is an agronomically beneficial practice but is also a potential pathway of CIP and AZ release into the environment. Understanding retention-release behavior is crucial for assessing the environmental fate of and risks from land-applied biosolids-borne target antibiotics.

Microplastics in municipal mixed-waste organic outputs induce minimal short to long-term toxicity in key terrestrial biota.

Sustainable alternatives to landfill disposal for municipal mixed wastes represents a major challenge to governments and waste management industries. In the state of New South Wales (NSW) Australia, mechanical biological treatment (MBT) is being used to reduce the volume and pathogen content of organic matter isolated from municipal waste. The product of this treatment, a compost-like output (CLO) referred to as mixed waste organic output (MWOO), is being recycled and applied as a soil amendment.

Colloidal nitrogen is an important and highly-mobile form of nitrogen discharging into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

Soil-borne colloids have been linked to long-distance transport of radionuclides, metal(loid)s and nutrients. Colloid-associated nitrogen (N) will have different mechanisms of biogeochemical cycling and potential for water-borne transport over longer distances compared to dissolved N. The role that colloids play in the supply and mobility of N within catchments discharging into the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon is unexplored.

Plant and Microbial Responses to Repeated Cu(OH) Nanopesticide Exposures Under Different Fertilization Levels in an Agro-Ecosystem.

The environmental fate and potential impacts of nanopesticides on agroecosystems under realistic agricultural conditions are poorly understood. As a result, the benefits and risks of these novel formulations compared to the conventional products are currently unclear. Here, we examined the effects of repeated realistic exposures of the Cu(OH) nanopesticide, Kocide 3000, on simulated agricultural pastureland in an outdoor mesocosm experiment over 1 year.

Nanomaterials in the environment: Behavior, fate, bioavailability, and effects-An updated review.

The present review covers developments in studies of nanomaterials (NMs) in the environment since our much cited review in 2008. We discuss novel insights into fate and behavior, metrology, transformations, bioavailability, toxicity mechanisms, and environmental impacts, with a focus on terrestrial and aquatic systems. Overall, the findings were that: 1) despite substantial developments, critical gaps remain, in large part due to the lack of analytical, modeling, and field capabilities, and also due to the breadth and complexity of the area; 2) a key knowledge gap is the lack of data on environmental concentrations and dosimetry generally; 3) substantial evidence shows that there are nanospecific effects (different from the effects of both ions and larger particles) on the environment in terms of fate, bioavailability, and toxicity, but this is not consistent for all NMs, species, and relevant processes; 4) a paradigm is emerging that NMs are less toxic than equivalent dissolved materials but more toxic than the corresponding bulk materials; and 5) translation of incompletely understood science into regulation and policy continues to be challenging.

Incorporating Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance into Ecological Risk Assessment Frameworks.

Chronic exposure to environmental contaminants can induce heritable "transgenerational" modifications to organisms, potentially affecting future ecosystem health and functionality. Incorporating transgenerational epigenetic heritability into risk assessment procedures has been previously suggested. However, a critical review of existing literature yielded numerous studies claiming transgenerational impacts, with little compelling evidence.

Nanoparticles Composed of Zn and ZnO Inhibit Spore Germination and Infectivity on Tobacco Leaves.

Manufactured nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly being used for commercial purposes and certain NP types have been shown to have broad spectrum antibacterial activity. In contrast, their activities against fungi and fungi-like oomycetes are less studied. Here, we examined the potential of two types of commercially available Zn NPs (Zn NPs and ZnO NPs) to inhibit spore germination and infectivity on tobacco leaves resulting from exposure to the fungi-like oomycete pathogen ().

Symbiosis between nitrogen-fixing bacteria and Medicago truncatula is not significantly affected by silver and silver sulfide nanomaterials.

Silver (Ag) engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are being released into waste streams and are being discharged, largely as Ag2S aged-ENMs (a-ENMs), into agroecosystems receiving biosolids amendments. Recent research has demonstrated that biosolids containing an environmentally relevant mixture of ZnO, TiO2, and Ag ENMs and their transformation products, including Ag2S a-ENMs, disrupted the symbiosis between nitrogen-fixing bacteria and legumes. However, this study was unable to unequivocally determine which ENM or combination of ENMs and a-ENMs was responsible for the observed inhibition.

Engineered Nanomaterials in the Environment.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials, "Engineered Nanomaterials in the Environment", is comprised of one communication and five research articles.[..

Gold Nanomaterial Uptake from Soil Is Not Increased by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization of Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato).

Bioaccumulation of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) by plants has been demonstrated in numerous studies over the past 5-10 years. However, the overwhelming majority of these studies were conducted using hydroponic systems and the degree to which the addition of the biological and chemical components present in the soil might fundamentally alter the potential of plant bioaccumulation of ENMs is unclear. Here, we used two genotypes of (tomato), reduced mycorrhizal colonization (), a mutant which does not allow arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization, and its progenitor, 76R, to examine how colonization by AMF alters trends of gold ENM bioaccumulation from a natural soil.

Effects of silver sulfide nanomaterials on mycorrhizal colonization of tomato plants and soil microbial communities in biosolid-amended soil.

We investigated effects of Ag2S engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated Ag ENMs (PVP-Ag), and Ag(+) on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), their colonization of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and overall microbial community structure in biosolids-amended soil. Concentration-dependent uptake was measured in all treatments. Plants exposed to 100 mg kg(-1) PVP-Ag ENMs and 100 mg kg(-1) Ag(+) exhibited reduced biomass and greatly reduced mycorrhizal colonization.

Toxicogenomic Responses of the Model Legume Medicago truncatula to Aged Biosolids Containing a Mixture of Nanomaterials (TiO₂, Ag, and ZnO) from a Pilot Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Toxicogenomic responses in Medicago truncatula A17 were monitored following exposure to biosolids-amended soils. Treatments included biosolids produced using a pilot wastewater treatment plant with either no metal introduced into the influent (control); bulk/ionic TiO2, ZnO, and AgNO3 added to influent (bulk/dissolved treatment); or Ag, ZnO, and TiO2 engineered nanomaterials added to influent (ENM treatment) and then added to soil, which was aged in the field for 6 months. In our companion study, we found inhibition of nodulation in the ENM but not in the bulk/dissolved treatment.

Nanomaterials in Biosolids Inhibit Nodulation, Shift Microbial Community Composition, and Result in Increased Metal Uptake Relative to Bulk/Dissolved Metals.

We examined the effects of amending soil with biosolids produced from a pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant containing a mixture of metal-based engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) on the growth of Medicago truncatula, its symbiosis with Sinorhizobium meliloti, and on soil microbial community structure. Treatments consisted of soils amended with biosolids generated with (1) Ag, ZnO, and TiO2 ENMs introduced into the influent wastewater (ENM biosolids), (2) AgNO3, Zn(SO4)2, and micron-sized TiO2 (dissolved/bulk metal biosolids) introduced into the influent wastewater stream, or (3) no metal added to influent wastewater (control). Soils were amended with biosolids to simulate 20 years of metal loading, which resulted in nominal metal concentrations of 1450, 100, and 2400 mg kg(-1) of Zn, Ag, and Ti, respectively, in the dissolved/bulk and ENM treatments.