ACS ES&T water最新文献

Polyphenol (PP)-enhanced Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ oxidation presents a promising solution to the traditional Fenton process limitations, including acidic pH requirements, restricted Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ cycling, and low H₂O₂ stability. The type of PP and the initial pH are key factors influencing Fenton-like reactions by affecting iron complexation and reduction. This study evaluates catechol, protocatechuic acid (PCA), gallic acid (GA), and tannic acid (TA) to enhance phenanthrene (PHE) degradation via the Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ process over a wide initial pH range. GA achieved the highest PHE removal rates, which can be attributed to its unique third ortho-hydroxyl group. The significant improvement in PHE degradation observed with adding PPs can be ascribed to their ability to form complexes with Fe³⁺, promote cycling between Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺, and stabilize H₂O₂, all of which are pH-dependent. Hydroxyl radical (^•OH) and superoxide radical (O₂^•–) were identified as the primary species responsible for PHE degradation in the Fe³⁺/PP/H₂O₂ systems, although their contributions varied with the specific PPs used. The degradation products of both PHE and PPs were characterized by using mass spectrometry, suggesting possible degradation pathways and associated toxicities. Overall, this study demonstrates that the PP-enhanced Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ process holds significant potential for the remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important geochemical feature connecting pollutants and microorganisms in groundwater. However, the patterns of DOM–microbial community interactions caused by spatial distribution differences remain unclear, necessitating the construction of a correlation network to elucidate the spatial relationships between DOM and microorganisms and accurately predict the biodegradation process of pollutants. This study selected a chlorobenzene (CBs)-contaminated bioremediation site to analyze the spatial distribution patterns of DOM fluorescent components and molecular structures in groundwater. Microbial metabolic activities were more active in areas with high CBs concentration, leading to significant microbial source contributions to DOM. Intense microbial degradation processes were accompanied by the transformation of highly oxidized and unsaturated molecular structures in DOM. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that microbial communities exhibited high network density, with Pseudomonas playing a crucial role in the degradation of organic pollutants. The constructed DOM–CBs–microbial spatial distribution relationship network showed that DOM molecular indices, such as O/C, NOSC, and CHO (%), were strongly correlated with the microbial community structure and could directly indicate the biodegradation process of CBs. DOM characteristics and their links to microbial communities and pollutants provide a rapid and accurate method to predict and monitor biodegradation in contaminated groundwater.

Cyanotoxin accumulation in water is an emerging global concern, with microcystin-LR (MC-LR), the most common cyanotoxin, posing significant risks due to its hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effects. Stringent regulation in many countries limits the allowed MC-LR concentration in drinking water to <1 μg/L. Current detection methods are costly, require specialized equipment, and are labor-intensive. To address this, we developed a miniaturized biochip-based electrochemical sensor with a microelectrode array functionalized with specific antibodies, offering label-free Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy detection of MC-LR in less than 10 min. The impedimetric biosensor demonstrated the feasibility of detecting concentrations as low as 3 ppt─compared with the 100 ppt limit of currently used Microcystin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. In this present study, we report the findings of a diagnostic analysis of 24 treated wastewater samples collected from two secondary effluent reservoirs in different regions, comparing the performance of our impedimetric biosensor with conventional ELISA kits. The biosensor produced statistically comparable results across all samples. This validation supports its application in water treatment plants and other aquatic environments, offering a promising solution for on-site testing that overcomes the limitations of current diagnostic methods.

This study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare the environmental impacts of PAC adsorption and enhanced biofiltration as retrofitting options for improving 2-MIB removal based on data from a full-scale drinking water treatment plant (DWTP). For equivalent treatment results, PAC adsorption surpasses enhanced biofiltration in 8 out of the 10 categories. The majority of global warming, acidification, abiotic depletion, ozone depletion, and photochemical ozone creation are attributed to the PAC preparation and transportation stage, while sludge treatment is the predominant contributor to the toxicity-related impacts. For enhanced biofiltration, the ozone depletion potential is 5.4 times higher than that of PAC adsorption, primarily due to the disinfection stage, highlighting the need for optimizing disinfectant types and dosage ratios. In terms of sludge treatment, drying-related treatment exhibits the highest global warming potentials, while anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis demonstrate reduced potentials by converting sludge into resources or energy. This study introduces a new perspective on the environmental implications associated with retrofitting DWTPs for the removal of specific pollutants, highlighting the importance of elevating awareness regarding the environmental impacts of water treatment processes and underscoring the need for sustainable practices in the industry.

The denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea (DAMO archaea) plays a key role in mitigating methane emissions in river ecosystems, but its activity, community structure, and assembly process under different hydrological conditions remain poorly understood. This study investigated the dynamics of DAMO archaea in river networks (Taihu basin) across wet, normal, and dry seasons. Microcosm incubation with ¹³C-CH₄ was employed to determine the potential activity of DAMO archaea. The potential methane oxidation rates varied from 0.22 to 2.19 nmol ¹³C-CO₂·g^–1·d^–1, with the wet season exhibiting significantly higher rates than other seasons (p < 0.0001). Further, amplicon sequencing revealed that the diversity and community structure of DAMO archaea also showed seasonal dynamics. The neutral community model and normalized stochasticity model were employed to investigate the community assembly process influenced by seasonal dynamics. Both deterministic and stochastic factors shaped DAMO archaeal communities, with the wet season showing notably higher stochasticity compared with other seasons. Co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated that DAMO archaeal communities exhibited the lowest robustness and greatest vulnerability in the wet season, indicating their instabilities in this season. This study highlighted the dynamics of DAMO archaeal communities in river ecosystems and offered new insights into the underlying mechanisms.

Nanoalloys have always been fascinating to the scientific community because of their promising physical and chemical properties. Focusing on the long-lasting properties of nanoalloys, we report the synthesis of a 2D layered bronze nanoalloy (LBNA) at room-temperature. The hybrid methodology implied is dependent upon hetero and homocatenation of Cu and Sn metal ions, utilizing orthoestering capabilities from trimethyl orthoformate (TMOF). The developed nanostructure inherits a mesmeric bronze color when seen under ambient light, and possesses a bright aureolin fluorescence under UV-illumination. The capability of synthesized bronze nanoalloy has been explored for time-dependent identification of <1 μm melamine based microplastic in drinking water and seawater. Increasing microplastic pollutants have caused various health issues, and environmental concerns have inspired this study. Both waste and reactive microplastics have surpassed permissible estimates. In aqueous conditions, the LBNA nanomaterial has shown a highly specific response toward melamine-based microplastic detection, which results in a change of emission toward blue color. The interaction mechanism strongly comprehends LBNA having rational bonding with melamine adducts in both drinking and seawater. The linearity response of LBNA has shown a record low period with an R² of 0.9516 and an LOD of 0.03 PPM in drinking water. This size-specific melamine identification will enhance water quality and management.

This study presents a novel bronze nanoalloy for detecting melamine microplastics in water, enhancing environmental monitoring and water quality management.

Conventional detection technologies for environmental contaminants have primarily focused on providing accurate qualitative and quantitative evaluations for single pollutant types, leading to increased costs and an inability to satisfy the growing demand for detecting a broader spectrum of pollutants. Here, we introduced a novel analytical method to simultaneously measure the concentration levels of diverse environmental pollutants, characterized by their distinct properties, across complex biological samples. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and antibiotics were used as a case study due to their frequency of detection in the environment and known impacts Our method harnesses the salting-out effect of sodium chloride on proteins within the muscle tissues of 178 marine species, which significantly reduces the addition of extraneous substances, mitigates matrix interference, and avoids reliance on solid-phase extraction or dispersive extraction agents. The method provides a simultaneous pretreatment for the detection of several compounds, with detection limits from 0.002 to 0.41 ng/g dry weight, which are substantially lower than conventional methods. Overall, this method streamlines efficiency, decreases costs, lessens matrix effects, and sets a solid groundwork for future applications in the concurrent detection of a broader spectrum of environmentally pertinent pollutants with varied characteristics.

Centralized municipal water reuse implementation, particularly potable reuse, remains slow despite the need in many global locations to supplement conventional water supplies. Analyzing factors associated with implementation can enhance our understanding of successful water reuse design and implementation. We conducted a systematic analysis of 232 peer-reviewed journal articles on water reuse implementation, identifying and classifying influential factors as facilitators or barriers to success. The most cited facilitators included clearly defined and feasible regulations, public education and awareness programs, and drought conditions. Next, we analyzed case-level data by examining the relationships between factors, implementation outcome, and end use (potable vs nonpotable). The literature enabled analysis of 47 cases with data from 44 articles. When analyzing factor co-occurrence within similar cases (e.g., successful nonpotable cases), several unique combinations of factors resulted in implementation success (e.g., fostering partnerships with the industrial/agricultural sectors and increasing organizational capacity by improving existing infrastructure). Our analysis highlights preliminary recommendations for implementation success, as well as for future research to systematically collect data across cases. These recommendations will help to better understand the relative importance of each factor and causal relationships between factors, to ultimately identify comprehensive strategies for successful implementation.

The occurrence and risk assessment of legacy and emerging poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environments are attracting public concern due to their environmental persistence and potential risks to ecosystems and humans. This study investigated the distribution, partitioning, and ecological risk of PFAS in four rivers of the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The results showed that the mean values of ∑₃₃PFAS in surface water and ∑₃₀PFAS in sediment were 69 and 2.3 ng/g, respectively, with concentrations ranging from 0.13 to 1400 ng/L and 0.025 to 150 ng/g. 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTSA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were the most abundant individual PFAS in water, while perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), 6:2 FTSA, and fluorotelomer phosphate diester (di-PAP) dominated the PFAS profile in sediment. Field-derived water-sediment partitioning coefficients (K_d and K_oc) were significantly correlated with the carbon chain length of PFAS (p < 0.001). Source apportionment first indicated that firefighting and metal plating (67%) were the primary sources of PFAS in the PRD. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was associated with high ecological risks in both surface water and sediment.

Electro-ozonation (E⁺/ozonation) was used to degrade recalcitrant dissolved organic matter (DOM) in high-salt concentrated leachate (CL), but individual DOM molecules with varying oxidizability and their degradation mechanisms in different E⁺/ozonation remain unexplored. This study revealed the DOM oxidizability from molecular insight and their fragmentation-pathway mechanism by modifying the graph-DOM-based mode in Ti-based E⁺/ozonation. Ti₄O₇-E⁺/ozonation achieved a high-efficiency COD_Cr removal of 74.5%, detecting 1570 DOM precursors, 1037 resistant, and 614 products. Key molecular properties, such as molecular weight, S, C, N, and O/C, were identified as influencing DOM oxidizability. The primary nonheteroatom-involved pathways among the 42 transformation pathways were the oxygen reaction, the reaction of the dealkyl group, and carboxylic acid. More loss of the –COO group was observed in Ti₄O₇-E⁺/ozonation by Kendrick mass defect (KMD), further revealing the transformation between homologous DOM. Fragmentation pathways were refined using a machine-learning framework on graph networks based on 42 one-step paired mass distance (PMD) pathways and KMD multistep pathways, highlighting the role of absorbed ^•OH and O₂^•- in complex DOM transformations. This modified model offers the potential for predicting DOM reactivity in such a complex matrix under different treatment conditions, leading to more efficient degradation strategies.