Pub Date : 2024-03-16DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100413
Manjie Li , Zhaowei Liu , Yongcan Chen
In high-rise buildings, secondary water supply systems (SWSSs) are pivotal yet provide a conducive milieu for microbial proliferation due to intermittent flow, low disinfectant residual, and high specific pipe-surface area, raising concerns about tap water quality deterioration. Despite their ubiquity, a comprehensive understanding of bacterial community dynamics within SWSSs remains elusive. Here we show how intrinsic SWSS variables critically shape the tap water microbiome at distal ends. In an office setting, distinct from residential complexes, the diversity in piping materials instigates a noticeable bacterial community shift, exemplified by a transition from α-Proteobacteria to γ-Proteobacteria dominance, alongside an upsurge in bacterial diversity and microbial propagation potential. Extended water retention within SWSSs invariably escalates microbial regrowth propensities and modulates bacterial consortia, yet secondary disinfection emerges as a robust strategy for preserving water quality integrity. Additionally, the regularity of water usage modulates proximal flow dynamics, thereby influencing tap water's microbial landscape. Insights garnered from this investigation lay the groundwork for devising effective interventions aimed at safeguarding microbiological standards at the consumer's endpoint.
{"title":"Tap water microbiome shifts in secondary water supply for high-rise buildings","authors":"Manjie Li , Zhaowei Liu , Yongcan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100413","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100413","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In high-rise buildings, secondary water supply systems (SWSSs) are pivotal yet provide a conducive milieu for microbial proliferation due to intermittent flow, low disinfectant residual, and high specific pipe-surface area, raising concerns about tap water quality deterioration. Despite their ubiquity, a comprehensive understanding of bacterial community dynamics within SWSSs remains elusive. Here we show how intrinsic SWSS variables critically shape the tap water microbiome at distal ends. In an office setting, distinct from residential complexes, the diversity in piping materials instigates a noticeable bacterial community shift, exemplified by a transition from α-Proteobacteria to γ-Proteobacteria dominance, alongside an upsurge in bacterial diversity and microbial propagation potential. Extended water retention within SWSSs invariably escalates microbial regrowth propensities and modulates bacterial consortia, yet secondary disinfection emerges as a robust strategy for preserving water quality integrity. Additionally, the regularity of water usage modulates proximal flow dynamics, thereby influencing tap water's microbial landscape. Insights garnered from this investigation lay the groundwork for devising effective interventions aimed at safeguarding microbiological standards at the consumer's endpoint.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000279/pdfft?md5=b893cbced8703daade210db2f6b7aa00&pid=1-s2.0-S2666498424000279-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140273221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100410
Ze-Chong Guo , Min-Hua Cui , Chun-Xue Yang , Hong-Liang Dai , Tong-Yi Yang , Lin-Zhi Zhai , Yong Chen , Wen-Zong Liu , Ai-Jie Wang
Energy recovery from low-strength wastewater through anaerobic methanogenesis is constrained by limited substrate availability. The development of efficient methanogenic communities is critical but challenging. Here we develop a strategy to acclimate methanogenic communities using conductive carrier (CC), electrical stress (ES), and Acid Orange 7 (AO7) in a modified biofilter. The synergistic integration of CC, ES, and AO7 precipitated a remarkable 72-fold surge in methane production rate compared to the baseline. This increase was attributed to an altered methanogenic community function, independent of the continuous presence of AO7 and ES. AO7 acted as an external electron acceptor, accelerating acetogenesis from fermentation intermediates, restructuring the bacterial community, and enriching electroactive bacteria (EAB). Meanwhile, CC and ES orchestrated the assembly of the archaeal community and promoted electrotrophic methanogens, enhancing acetotrophic methanogenesis electron flow via a mechanism distinct from direct electrochemical interactions. The collective application of CC, ES, and AO7 effectively mitigated electron flow impediments in low-strength wastewater methanogenesis, achieving an additional 34% electron recovery from the substrate. This study proposes a new method of amending anaerobic digestion systems with conductive materials to advance wastewater treatment, sustainability, and energy self-sufficiency.
通过厌氧产甲烷从低浓度废水中回收能量受到基质供应有限的限制。发展高效的产甲烷群落至关重要,但也极具挑战性。在此,我们开发了一种策略,在改良生物滤池中使用导电载体(CC)、电应力(ES)和酸性橙 7(AO7)来调节产甲烷群落。与基线相比,CC、ES 和 AO7 的协同作用使甲烷产生率显著增加了 72 倍。这一增长归因于甲烷生成群落功能的改变,与 AO7 和 ES 的持续存在无关。AO7 作为外部电子受体,加速了发酵中间产物的乙酰生成,重组了细菌群落,并丰富了电活性细菌(EAB)。与此同时,CC 和 ES 协调了古菌群落的组装,促进了电营养甲烷菌的生长,通过一种不同于直接电化学相互作用的机制增强了乙酰甲烷生成的电子流。CC、ES和AO7的联合应用有效地缓解了低浓度废水甲烷化过程中的电子流障碍,使底物的电子回收率提高了34%。这项研究提出了一种用导电材料改进厌氧消化系统的新方法,以促进废水处理、可持续发展和能源自给自足。
{"title":"Electrical stress and acid orange 7 synergistically clear the blockage of electron flow in the methanogenesis of low-strength wastewater","authors":"Ze-Chong Guo , Min-Hua Cui , Chun-Xue Yang , Hong-Liang Dai , Tong-Yi Yang , Lin-Zhi Zhai , Yong Chen , Wen-Zong Liu , Ai-Jie Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Energy recovery from low-strength wastewater through anaerobic methanogenesis is constrained by limited substrate availability. The development of efficient methanogenic communities is critical but challenging. Here we develop a strategy to acclimate methanogenic communities using conductive carrier (CC), electrical stress (ES), and Acid Orange 7 (AO7) in a modified biofilter. The synergistic integration of CC, ES, and AO7 precipitated a remarkable 72-fold surge in methane production rate compared to the baseline. This increase was attributed to an altered methanogenic community function, independent of the continuous presence of AO7 and ES. AO7 acted as an external electron acceptor, accelerating acetogenesis from fermentation intermediates, restructuring the bacterial community, and enriching electroactive bacteria (EAB). Meanwhile, CC and ES orchestrated the assembly of the archaeal community and promoted electrotrophic methanogens, enhancing acetotrophic methanogenesis electron flow via a mechanism distinct from direct electrochemical interactions. The collective application of CC, ES, and AO7 effectively mitigated electron flow impediments in low-strength wastewater methanogenesis, achieving an additional 34% electron recovery from the substrate. This study proposes a new method of amending anaerobic digestion systems with conductive materials to advance wastewater treatment, sustainability, and energy self-sufficiency.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000243/pdfft?md5=7c4daaf43645adf9cea2be1ba0027138&pid=1-s2.0-S2666498424000243-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140279873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-11DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100412
Yi-Lin Zhao , Han-Jun Sun , Xiao-Dan Wang , Jie Ding , Mei-Yun Lu , Ji-Wei Pang , Da-Peng Zhou , Ming Liang , Nan-Qi Ren , Shan-Shan Yang
Effective management of large basins necessitates pinpointing the spatial and temporal drivers of primary index exceedances and urban risk factors, offering crucial insights for basin administrators. Yet, comprehensive examinations of multiple pollutants within the Yangtze River Basin remain scarce. Here we introduce a pollution inventory for urban clusters surrounding the Yangtze River Basin, analyzing water quality data from 102 cities during 2018–2019. We assessed the exceedance rates for six pivotal indicators: dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia nitrogen (NH3–N), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total phosphorus (TP), and the permanganate index (CODMn) for each city. Employing random forest regression and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analyses, we identified the spatiotemporal factors influencing these key indicators. Our results highlight agricultural activities as the primary contributors to the exceedance of all six indicators, thus pinpointing them as the leading pollution source in the basin. Additionally, forest coverage, livestock farming, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, along with meteorological elements like precipitation and temperature, significantly impacted various indicators' exceedances. Furthermore, we delineate five core urban risk components through principal component analysis, which are (1) anthropogenic and industrial activities, (2) agricultural practices and forest extent, (3) climatic variables, (4) livestock rearing, and (5) principal polluting sectors. The cities were subsequently evaluated and categorized based on these risk components, incorporating policy interventions and administrative performance within each region. The comprehensive analysis advocates for a customized strategy in addressing the discerned risk factors, especially for cities presenting elevated risk levels.
{"title":"Spatiotemporal drivers of urban water pollution: Assessment of 102 cities across the Yangtze River Basin","authors":"Yi-Lin Zhao , Han-Jun Sun , Xiao-Dan Wang , Jie Ding , Mei-Yun Lu , Ji-Wei Pang , Da-Peng Zhou , Ming Liang , Nan-Qi Ren , Shan-Shan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100412","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2024.100412","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Effective management of large basins necessitates pinpointing the spatial and temporal drivers of primary index exceedances and urban risk factors, offering crucial insights for basin administrators. Yet, comprehensive examinations of multiple pollutants within the Yangtze River Basin remain scarce. Here we introduce a pollution inventory for urban clusters surrounding the Yangtze River Basin, analyzing water quality data from 102 cities during 2018–2019. We assessed the exceedance rates for six pivotal indicators: dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia nitrogen (NH<sub>3</sub>–N), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total phosphorus (TP), and the permanganate index (COD<sub>Mn</sub>) for each city. Employing random forest regression and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analyses, we identified the spatiotemporal factors influencing these key indicators. Our results highlight agricultural activities as the primary contributors to the exceedance of all six indicators, thus pinpointing them as the leading pollution source in the basin. Additionally, forest coverage, livestock farming, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, along with meteorological elements like precipitation and temperature, significantly impacted various indicators' exceedances. Furthermore, we delineate five core urban risk components through principal component analysis, which are (1) anthropogenic and industrial activities, (2) agricultural practices and forest extent, (3) climatic variables, (4) livestock rearing, and (5) principal polluting sectors. The cities were subsequently evaluated and categorized based on these risk components, incorporating policy interventions and administrative performance within each region. The comprehensive analysis advocates for a customized strategy in addressing the discerned risk factors, especially for cities presenting elevated risk levels.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000267/pdfft?md5=925f784a52b136b0b980715b93bbbac5&pid=1-s2.0-S2666498424000267-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140190932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100409
Shuping Wang , Songsong Gu , Yaqun Zhang , Ye Deng , Wenhui Qiu , Qianhang Sun , Tianxu Zhang , Pengyuan Wang , Zhenguang Yan
Ecological water replenishment (EWR) is an important strategy for river restoration globally, but timely evaluation of its ecological effects at a large spatiotemporal scale to further adjust the EWR schemes is of great challenge. Here, we examine the impact of EWR on microeukaryotic plankton communities in three distinct river ecosystems through environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. The three ecosystems include a long-term cut-off river, a short-term connected river after EWR, and long-term connected rivers. We analyzed community stability by investigating species composition, stochastic and deterministic dynamics interplay, and ecological network robustness. We found that EWR markedly reduced the diversity and complexity of microeukaryotic plankton, altered their community dynamics, and lessened the variation within the community. Moreover, EWR disrupted the deterministic patterns of community organization, favoring dispersal constraints, and aligning with trends observed in naturally connected rivers. The shift from an isolated to a temporarily connected river appeared to transition community structuring mechanisms from deterministic to stochastic dominance, whereas, in permanently connected rivers, both forces concurrently influenced community assembly. The ecological network in temporarily connected rivers post-EWR demonstrated significantly greater stability and intricacy compared to other river systems. This shift markedly bolstered the resilience of the ecological network. The eDNA metabarcoding insights offer a novel understanding of ecosystem resilience under EWR interventions, which could be critical in assessing the effects of river restoration projects throughout their life cycle.
{"title":"Microeukaryotic plankton community dynamics under ecological water replenishment: Insights from eDNA metabarcoding","authors":"Shuping Wang , Songsong Gu , Yaqun Zhang , Ye Deng , Wenhui Qiu , Qianhang Sun , Tianxu Zhang , Pengyuan Wang , Zhenguang Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ecological water replenishment (EWR) is an important strategy for river restoration globally, but timely evaluation of its ecological effects at a large spatiotemporal scale to further adjust the EWR schemes is of great challenge. Here, we examine the impact of EWR on microeukaryotic plankton communities in three distinct river ecosystems through environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. The three ecosystems include a long-term cut-off river, a short-term connected river after EWR, and long-term connected rivers. We analyzed community stability by investigating species composition, stochastic and deterministic dynamics interplay, and ecological network robustness. We found that EWR markedly reduced the diversity and complexity of microeukaryotic plankton, altered their community dynamics, and lessened the variation within the community. Moreover, EWR disrupted the deterministic patterns of community organization, favoring dispersal constraints, and aligning with trends observed in naturally connected rivers. The shift from an isolated to a temporarily connected river appeared to transition community structuring mechanisms from deterministic to stochastic dominance, whereas, in permanently connected rivers, both forces concurrently influenced community assembly. The ecological network in temporarily connected rivers post-EWR demonstrated significantly greater stability and intricacy compared to other river systems. This shift markedly bolstered the resilience of the ecological network. The eDNA metabarcoding insights offer a novel understanding of ecosystem resilience under EWR interventions, which could be critical in assessing the effects of river restoration projects throughout their life cycle.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000231/pdfft?md5=fff7809fa0be3125e3d7d66f9e17139d&pid=1-s2.0-S2666498424000231-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140087864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100408
Kejia Hu , Shiyi Wang , Fangrong Fei , Jinglu Song , Feng Chen , Qi Zhao , Yujie Shen , Jingqiao Fu , Yunquan Zhang , Jian Cheng , Jieming Zhong , Xuchao Yang , Jiayu Wu
Green-blue spaces (GBS) are pivotal in mitigating thermal discomfort. However, their management lacks guidelines rooted in epidemiological evidence for specific planning and design. Here we show how various GBS types modify the link between non-optimal temperatures and cardiovascular mortality across different thermal extremes. We merged fine-scale population density and GBS data to create novel GBS exposure index. A case time series approach was employed to analyse temperature-cardiovascular mortality association and the effect modifications of type-specific GBSs across 1085 subdistricts in south-eastern China. Our findings indicate that both green and blue spaces may significantly reduce high-temperature-related cardiovascular mortality risks (e.g., for low (5%) vs. high (95%) level of overall green spaces at 99th vs. minimum mortality temperature (MMT), Ratio of relative risk (RRR) = 1.14 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.21); for overall blue spaces, RRR = 1.20 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.29)), while specific blue space types offer protection against cold temperatures (e.g., for the rivers at 1st vs MMT, RRR = 1.17 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.28)). Notably, forests, parks, nature reserves, street greenery, and lakes are linked with lower heat-related cardiovascular mortality, whereas rivers and coasts mitigate cold-related cardiovascular mortality. Blue spaces provide greater benefits than green spaces. The severity of temperature extremes further amplifies GBS's protective effects. This study enhances our understanding of how type-specific GBS influences health risks associated with non-optimal temperatures, offering valuable insights for integrating GBS into climate adaptation strategies for maximal health benefits.
{"title":"Modifying temperature-related cardiovascular mortality through green-blue space exposure","authors":"Kejia Hu , Shiyi Wang , Fangrong Fei , Jinglu Song , Feng Chen , Qi Zhao , Yujie Shen , Jingqiao Fu , Yunquan Zhang , Jian Cheng , Jieming Zhong , Xuchao Yang , Jiayu Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100408","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2024.100408","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Green-blue spaces (GBS) are pivotal in mitigating thermal discomfort. However, their management lacks guidelines rooted in epidemiological evidence for specific planning and design. Here we show how various GBS types modify the link between non-optimal temperatures and cardiovascular mortality across different thermal extremes. We merged fine-scale population density and GBS data to create novel GBS exposure index. A case time series approach was employed to analyse temperature-cardiovascular mortality association and the effect modifications of type-specific GBSs across 1085 subdistricts in south-eastern China. Our findings indicate that both green and blue spaces may significantly reduce high-temperature-related cardiovascular mortality risks (e.g., for low (5%) vs. high (95%) level of overall green spaces at 99th vs. minimum mortality temperature (MMT), Ratio of relative risk (RRR) = 1.14 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.21); for overall blue spaces, RRR = 1.20 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.29)), while specific blue space types offer protection against cold temperatures (e.g., for the rivers at 1st vs MMT, RRR = 1.17 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.28)). Notably, forests, parks, nature reserves, street greenery, and lakes are linked with lower heat-related cardiovascular mortality, whereas rivers and coasts mitigate cold-related cardiovascular mortality. Blue spaces provide greater benefits than green spaces. The severity of temperature extremes further amplifies GBS's protective effects. This study enhances our understanding of how type-specific GBS influences health risks associated with non-optimal temperatures, offering valuable insights for integrating GBS into climate adaptation strategies for maximal health benefits.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266649842400022X/pdfft?md5=0d2c31d73eb09fad3fff44c71e030841&pid=1-s2.0-S266649842400022X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140188190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100407
Giovanni Davide Barone , Andrés Rodríguez-Seijo , Mattia Parati , Brian Johnston , Elif Erdem , Tomislav Cernava , Zhi Zhu , Xufeng Liu , Ilka M. Axmann , Peter Lindblad , Iza Radecka
Mismanaged plastics, upon entering the environment, undergo degradation through physicochemical and/or biological processes. This process often results in the formation of microplastics (MPs), the most prevalent form of plastic debris (<1 mm). MPs pose severe threats to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, necessitating innovative strategies for effective remediation. Some photosynthetic microorganisms can degrade MPs but there lacks a comprehensive review. Here we examine the specific role of photoautotrophic microorganisms in water and soil environments for the biodegradation of plastics, focussing on their unique ability to grow persistently on diverse polymers under sunlight. Notably, these cells utilise light and CO2 to produce valuable compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, showcasing their multifaceted environmental benefits. We address key scientific questions surrounding the utilisation of photosynthetic microorganisms for MPs and nanoplastics (NPs) bioremediation, discussing potential engineering strategies for enhanced efficacy. Our review highlights the significance of alternative biomaterials and the exploration of strains expressing enzymes, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolases, in conjunction with microalgal and/or cyanobacterial metabolisms. Furthermore, we delve into the promising potential of photo-biocatalytic approaches, emphasising the coupling of plastic debris degradation with sunlight exposure. The integration of microalgal-bacterial consortia is explored for biotechnological applications against MPs and NPs pollution, showcasing the synergistic effects in wastewater treatment through the absorption of nitrogen, heavy metals, phosphorous, and carbon. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on the use of photoautotrophic cells for plastic bioremediation. It underscores the need for continued investigation into the engineering of these microorganisms and the development of innovative approaches to tackle the global issue of plastic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
{"title":"Harnessing photosynthetic microorganisms for enhanced bioremediation of microplastics: A comprehensive review","authors":"Giovanni Davide Barone , Andrés Rodríguez-Seijo , Mattia Parati , Brian Johnston , Elif Erdem , Tomislav Cernava , Zhi Zhu , Xufeng Liu , Ilka M. Axmann , Peter Lindblad , Iza Radecka","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100407","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mismanaged plastics, upon entering the environment, undergo degradation through physicochemical and/or biological processes. This process often results in the formation of microplastics (MPs), the most prevalent form of plastic debris (<1 mm). MPs pose severe threats to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, necessitating innovative strategies for effective remediation. Some photosynthetic microorganisms can degrade MPs but there lacks a comprehensive review. Here we examine the specific role of photoautotrophic microorganisms in water and soil environments for the biodegradation of plastics, focussing on their unique ability to grow persistently on diverse polymers under sunlight. Notably, these cells utilise light and CO<sub>2</sub> to produce valuable compounds such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, showcasing their multifaceted environmental benefits. We address key scientific questions surrounding the utilisation of photosynthetic microorganisms for MPs and nanoplastics (NPs) bioremediation, discussing potential engineering strategies for enhanced efficacy. Our review highlights the significance of alternative biomaterials and the exploration of strains expressing enzymes, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) hydrolases, in conjunction with microalgal and/or cyanobacterial metabolisms. Furthermore, we delve into the promising potential of photo-biocatalytic approaches, emphasising the coupling of plastic debris degradation with sunlight exposure. The integration of microalgal-bacterial consortia is explored for biotechnological applications against MPs and NPs pollution, showcasing the synergistic effects in wastewater treatment through the absorption of nitrogen, heavy metals, phosphorous, and carbon. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on the use of photoautotrophic cells for plastic bioremediation. It underscores the need for continued investigation into the engineering of these microorganisms and the development of innovative approaches to tackle the global issue of plastic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000218/pdfft?md5=8c163855825606d46af2b28a4544feb0&pid=1-s2.0-S2666498424000218-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140090499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100406
Yan Xia , Xinbai Jiang , Shuaishuai Guo , Yuxuan Wang , Yang Mu , Jinyou Shen
High salinity inhibits microbial activity in the bioremediation of saline wastewater. To alleviate osmotic stress, glycine betaine (GB), an osmoprotectant, is added to enhance the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). These EPS are pivotal in withstanding environmental stressors, yet the intricate interplay between GB supplementation and microbial responses through EPS modifications—encompassing composition, molecular architecture, and electrochemical features—remains elusive in hypersaline conditions. Here we show microbial strategies for salinity endurance by investigating the impact of GB on the dynamic alterations of EPS properties. Our findings reveal that GB supplementation at 3.5% salinity elevates the total EPS (T-EPS) content from 12.50 ± 0.05 to 24.58 ± 0.96 mg per g dry cell weight. The observed shift in zeta potential from −28.95 to −6.25 mV at 0% and 3.5% salinity, respectively, with GB treatment, indicates a reduction in electrostatic repulsion and compaction. Notably, the EPS protein secondary structure transition from β-sheet to α-helix, with GB addition, signifies a more compact protein configuration, less susceptible to salinity fluctuations. Electrochemical analyses, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), reveal GB's role in promoting the release of exogenous electron shuttles, such as flavins and c-type cytochromes (c-Cyts). The enhancement in DPV peak areas (QDPV) with GB addition implies an increase in available extracellular electron transfer sites. This investigation advances our comprehension of microbial adaptation mechanisms to salinity through EPS modifications facilitated by GB in saline habitats.
{"title":"Glycine betaine modulates extracellular polymeric substances to enhance microbial salinity tolerance","authors":"Yan Xia , Xinbai Jiang , Shuaishuai Guo , Yuxuan Wang , Yang Mu , Jinyou Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100406","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100406","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>High salinity inhibits microbial activity in the bioremediation of saline wastewater. To alleviate osmotic stress, glycine betaine (GB), an osmoprotectant, is added to enhance the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). These EPS are pivotal in withstanding environmental stressors, yet the intricate interplay between GB supplementation and microbial responses through EPS modifications—encompassing composition, molecular architecture, and electrochemical features—remains elusive in hypersaline conditions. Here we show microbial strategies for salinity endurance by investigating the impact of GB on the dynamic alterations of EPS properties. Our findings reveal that GB supplementation at 3.5% salinity elevates the total EPS (T-EPS) content from 12.50 ± 0.05 to 24.58 ± 0.96 mg per g dry cell weight. The observed shift in zeta potential from −28.95 to −6.25 mV at 0% and 3.5% salinity, respectively, with GB treatment, indicates a reduction in electrostatic repulsion and compaction. Notably, the EPS protein secondary structure transition from <em>β</em>-sheet to <em>α</em>-helix, with GB addition, signifies a more compact protein configuration, less susceptible to salinity fluctuations. Electrochemical analyses, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), reveal GB's role in promoting the release of exogenous electron shuttles, such as flavins and c-type cytochromes (<em>c</em>-Cyts). The enhancement in DPV peak areas (<em>Q</em><sub>DPV</sub>) with GB addition implies an increase in available extracellular electron transfer sites. This investigation advances our comprehension of microbial adaptation mechanisms to salinity through EPS modifications facilitated by GB in saline habitats.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000206/pdfft?md5=6ec8c4a46884f6e00b0fb5a0a4e76aa0&pid=1-s2.0-S2666498424000206-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140087014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100402
Sheng Huang , Jun Xia , Yueling Wang , Jiarui Lei , Gangsheng Wang
Water quality in surface bodies remains a pressing issue worldwide. While some regions have rich water quality data, less attention is given to areas that lack sufficient data. Therefore, it is crucial to explore novel ways of managing source-oriented surface water pollution in scenarios with infrequent data collection such as weekly or monthly. Here we showed sparse-dataset-based prediction of water pollution using machine learning. We investigated the efficacy of a traditional Recurrent Neural Network alongside three Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, integrated with the Load Estimator (LOADEST). The research was conducted at a river-lake confluence, an area with intricate hydrological patterns. We found that the Self-Attentive LSTM (SA-LSTM) model outperformed the other three machine learning models in predicting water quality, achieving Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) scores of 0.71 for CODMn and 0.57 for NH3N when utilizing LOADEST-augmented water quality data (referred to as the SA-LSTM-LOADEST model). The SA-LSTM-LOADEST model improved upon the standalone SA-LSTM model by reducing the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) by 24.6% for CODMn and 21.3% for NH3N. Furthermore, the model maintained its predictive accuracy when data collection intervals were extended from weekly to monthly. Additionally, the SA-LSTM-LOADEST model demonstrated the capability to forecast pollution loads up to ten days in advance. This study shows promise for improving water quality modeling in regions with limited monitoring capabilities.
{"title":"Water quality prediction based on sparse dataset using enhanced machine learning","authors":"Sheng Huang , Jun Xia , Yueling Wang , Jiarui Lei , Gangsheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100402","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100402","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Water quality in surface bodies remains a pressing issue worldwide. While some regions have rich water quality data, less attention is given to areas that lack sufficient data. Therefore, it is crucial to explore novel ways of managing source-oriented surface water pollution in scenarios with infrequent data collection such as weekly or monthly. Here we showed sparse-dataset-based prediction of water pollution using machine learning. We investigated the efficacy of a traditional Recurrent Neural Network alongside three Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, integrated with the Load Estimator (LOADEST). The research was conducted at a river-lake confluence, an area with intricate hydrological patterns. We found that the Self-Attentive LSTM (SA-LSTM) model outperformed the other three machine learning models in predicting water quality, achieving Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) scores of 0.71 for COD<sub>Mn</sub> and 0.57 for NH<sub>3</sub>N when utilizing LOADEST-augmented water quality data (referred to as the SA-LSTM-LOADEST model). The SA-LSTM-LOADEST model improved upon the standalone SA-LSTM model by reducing the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) by 24.6% for COD<sub>Mn</sub> and 21.3% for NH<sub>3</sub>N. Furthermore, the model maintained its predictive accuracy when data collection intervals were extended from weekly to monthly. Additionally, the SA-LSTM-LOADEST model demonstrated the capability to forecast pollution loads up to ten days in advance. This study shows promise for improving water quality modeling in regions with limited monitoring capabilities.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000164/pdfft?md5=ce5f6b5fef258c060087f072a976a75b&pid=1-s2.0-S2666498424000164-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140091635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100404
Kai Wang , Cong Wang , Bojie Fu , Jianbei Huang , Fangli Wei , Xuejing Leng , Xiaoming Feng , Zongshan Li , Wei Jiang
Climate change and anthropogenic activities are reshaping dryland ecosystems globally at an unprecedented pace, jeopardizing their stability. The stability of these ecosystems is crucial for maintaining ecological balance and supporting local communities. Yet, the mechanisms governing their stability are poorly understood, largely due to the scarcity of comprehensive field data. Here we show the patterns of community temporal stability and its determinants across an aridity spectrum by integrating a transect survey across China's drylands with remote sensing. Our results revealed a U-shaped relationship between community temporal stability and aridity, with a pivotal shift occurring around an aridity level of 0.88. In less arid areas (aridity level below 0.88), enhanced precipitation and biodiversity were associated with increased community productivity and stability. Conversely, in more arid zones (aridity level above 0.88), elevated soil organic carbon and biodiversity were linked to greater fluctuations in community productivity and reduced stability. Our study identifies a critical aridity threshold that precipitates significant changes in community stability in China's drylands, underscoring the importance of distinct mechanisms driving ecosystem stability in varying aridity contexts. These insights are pivotal for developing informed ecosystem management and policy strategies tailored to the unique challenges of dryland conservation.
{"title":"Divergent driving mechanisms of community temporal stability in China's drylands","authors":"Kai Wang , Cong Wang , Bojie Fu , Jianbei Huang , Fangli Wei , Xuejing Leng , Xiaoming Feng , Zongshan Li , Wei Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Climate change and anthropogenic activities are reshaping dryland ecosystems globally at an unprecedented pace, jeopardizing their stability. The stability of these ecosystems is crucial for maintaining ecological balance and supporting local communities. Yet, the mechanisms governing their stability are poorly understood, largely due to the scarcity of comprehensive field data. Here we show the patterns of community temporal stability and its determinants across an aridity spectrum by integrating a transect survey across China's drylands with remote sensing. Our results revealed a U-shaped relationship between community temporal stability and aridity, with a pivotal shift occurring around an aridity level of 0.88. In less arid areas (aridity level below 0.88), enhanced precipitation and biodiversity were associated with increased community productivity and stability. Conversely, in more arid zones (aridity level above 0.88), elevated soil organic carbon and biodiversity were linked to greater fluctuations in community productivity and reduced stability. Our study identifies a critical aridity threshold that precipitates significant changes in community stability in China's drylands, underscoring the importance of distinct mechanisms driving ecosystem stability in varying aridity contexts. These insights are pivotal for developing informed ecosystem management and policy strategies tailored to the unique challenges of dryland conservation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424000188/pdfft?md5=03f034af669e7e918c3a281d48178b18&pid=1-s2.0-S2666498424000188-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140088335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-28DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100405
Guanshu Zhao , Jing Ding , Jiayi Ren , Qingliang Zhao , Chengliang Mao , Kun Wang , Jessica Ye , Xueqi Chen , Xianjie Wang , Mingce Long
The ubiquity of refractory organic matter in aquatic environments necessitates innovative removal strategies. Sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation has emerged as an attractive solution, offering high selectivity, enduring efficacy, and anti-interference ability. Among many technologies, sulfite activation, leveraging its cost-effectiveness and lower toxicity compared to conventional persulfates, stands out. Yet, the activation process often relies on transition metals, suffering from low atom utilization. Here we introduce a series of single-atom catalysts (SACs) employing transition metals on g-C3N4 substrates, effectively activating sulfite for acetaminophen degradation. We highlight the superior performance of Fe/CN, which demonstrates a degradation rate constant significantly surpassing those of Ni/CN and Cu/CN. Our investigation into the electronic and spin polarization characteristics of these catalysts reveals their critical role in catalytic efficiency, with oxysulfur radical-mediated reactions predominating. Notably, under visible light, the catalytic activity is enhanced, attributed to an increased generation of oxysulfur radicals and a strengthened electron donation-back donation dynamic. The proximity of Fe/CN's d-band center to the Fermi level, alongside its high spin polarization, is shown to improve sulfite adsorption and reduce the HOMO-LUMO gap, thereby accelerating photo-assisted sulfite activation. This work advances the understanding of SACs in environmental applications and lays the groundwork for future water treatment technologies.
{"title":"Understanding the role of transition metal single-atom electronic structure in oxysulfur radical-mediated oxidative degradation","authors":"Guanshu Zhao , Jing Ding , Jiayi Ren , Qingliang Zhao , Chengliang Mao , Kun Wang , Jessica Ye , Xueqi Chen , Xianjie Wang , Mingce Long","doi":"10.1016/j.ese.2024.100405","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2024.100405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The ubiquity of refractory organic matter in aquatic environments necessitates innovative removal strategies. Sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation has emerged as an attractive solution, offering high selectivity, enduring efficacy, and anti-interference ability. Among many technologies, sulfite activation, leveraging its cost-effectiveness and lower toxicity compared to conventional persulfates, stands out. Yet, the activation process often relies on transition metals, suffering from low atom utilization. Here we introduce a series of single-atom catalysts (SACs) employing transition metals on g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> substrates, effectively activating sulfite for acetaminophen degradation. We highlight the superior performance of Fe/CN, which demonstrates a degradation rate constant significantly surpassing those of Ni/CN and Cu/CN. Our investigation into the electronic and spin polarization characteristics of these catalysts reveals their critical role in catalytic efficiency, with oxysulfur radical-mediated reactions predominating. Notably, under visible light, the catalytic activity is enhanced, attributed to an increased generation of oxysulfur radicals and a strengthened electron donation-back donation dynamic. The proximity of Fe/CN's d-band center to the Fermi level, alongside its high spin polarization, is shown to improve sulfite adsorption and reduce the HOMO-LUMO gap, thereby accelerating photo-assisted sulfite activation. This work advances the understanding of SACs in environmental applications and lays the groundwork for future water treatment technologies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34434,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Ecotechnology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":12.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266649842400019X/pdfft?md5=0d174a355bead18f5014b2adb0aa6a77&pid=1-s2.0-S266649842400019X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140162276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}