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Esquivel-Mackenzie SP, Oltehua-Lopez O, Cuervo-López FDM, Texier AC. Physiological adaptation and population dynamics of a nitrifying sludge exposed to ampicillin. Int Microbiol 2024; 27:1035-1047. [PMID: 38010565 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-023-00452-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics in wastewater treatment plants can alter the physiological activity and the structure of microbial communities through toxic and inhibitory effects. Physiological adaptation, kinetic, and population dynamics behavior of a nitrifying sludge was evaluated in a sequential batch reactor (SBR) fed with 14.4 mg/L of ampicillin (AMP). The addition of AMP did not affect ammonium consumption (100 mg NH4+-N/L) but provoked nitrite accumulation (0.90 mg NO2--N formed/mg NH4+-N consumed) and an inhibition of up to 67% on the nitrite oxidizing process. After 30 cycles under AMP feeding, the sludge recovered its nitrite oxidizing activity with a high nitrate yield (YNO3-) of 0.87 ± 0.10 mg NO3--N formed/mg NH4+-N consumed, carrying out again a stable and complete nitrifying process. Increases in specific rate of nitrate production (qNO3-) showed the physiological adaptation of the nitrite oxidizing bacteria to AMP inhibition. Ampicillin was totally removed since the first cycle of addition. Exposure to AMP had effects on the abundance of bacterial populations, promoting adaptation of the nitrifying sludge to the presence of the antibiotic and its consumption. Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira always remained within the dominant genera, keeping the ammonium oxidizing process stable while an increase in Nitrospira abundance was observed, recovering the stability of the nitrite oxidizing process. Burkholderia, Pseudomonas, and Thauera might be some of the heterotrophic bacteria involved in AMP consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Pavel Esquivel-Mackenzie
- Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Metropolitan Autonomous University Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco 186, 09310, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Omar Oltehua-Lopez
- Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Metropolitan Autonomous University Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco 186, 09310, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Flor de María Cuervo-López
- Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Metropolitan Autonomous University Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco 186, 09310, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Anne-Claire Texier
- Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Metropolitan Autonomous University Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco 186, 09310, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Singh A, Pratap SG, Raj A. Occurrence and dissemination of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in aquatic environment and its ecological implications: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:47505-47529. [PMID: 39028459 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34355-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs), genes (ARGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in aquatic systems is growing global public health concern. These emerging micropollutants, stemming from improper wastewater treatment and disposal, highlight the complex and evolving nature of environmental pollution. Current literature reveals potential biases, such as a geographical focus on specific regions, leading to an insufficient understanding of the global distribution and dynamics of antibiotic resistance in aquatic systems. There is methodological inconsistency across studies, making it challenging to compare findings. Potential biases include sample collection inconsistencies, detection sensitivity variances, and data interpretation variability. Gaps in understanding include the need for comprehensive, standardized long-term monitoring programs, elucidating the environmental fate and transformation of antibiotics and resistance genes. This review summarizes current knowledge on the occurrence and dissemination of emerging micropollutants, their ecological impacts, and the global health implications of antimicrobial resistance. It highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the challenges posed by antibiotic resistance in aquatic resistance in aquatic systems effectively. This review highlights widespread antibiotic and antibiotic resistance in aquatic environment, driven by human and agricultural activities. It underscores the ecological consequences, including disrupted microbial communities and altered ecosystem functions. The findings call for urgent measures to mitigate antibiotics pollution and manage antibiotic resistance spread in water bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Singh
- Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Vishvigyan Bhawan 31, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, 226 001, Uttar Pradesh, India
- School of Environmental Science, Babu Banarsi Das University, Lucknow, 227015, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shalini G Pratap
- School of Environmental Science, Babu Banarsi Das University, Lucknow, 227015, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Abhay Raj
- Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Vishvigyan Bhawan 31, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, 226 001, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Maturano-Carrera D, Oltehua-Lopez O, Cuervo-López FDM, Texier AC. Long-term post-storage reactivation of a nitrifying sludge in a sequential batch reactor: physiological and kinetic evaluation. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:17. [PMID: 36568497 PMCID: PMC9768056 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03433-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Production, preservation and recovery of sludge with stabilized nitrifying activity over long time can be difficult. Information on the ability of nitrifying sludge to regain its nitrifying activity after long-term storage is still scarce. In this work, the physiological and kinetic changes during the reactivation and stabilization of a nitrifying sludge previously exposed to ampicillin (AMP) were evaluated in a sequential batch reactor (SBR) after its long-term storage (1 year) at 4 °C. After storage, both ammonium and nitrite oxidizing processes were slow, being nitrite oxidation the most affected step. During the reactivation stage (cycles 1-6), physiological and kinetic activity of the nitrifying sludge improved through the operating cycles, in both its ammonium oxidizing and nitrite oxidizing processes. At the end of the reactivation stage, complete nitrifying activity was achieved in 10 h, reaching ammonium consumption efficiencies (ENH4 +) close to 100% and nitrate yields (YNO3 -) of 0.98 mg NO3 --N/mg NH4 +-N consumed without nitrite accumulation. During the stabilization stage (cycles 7-17), results indicated that the sludge could maintain a steady-state respiratory process with restoration percentages of 100% for nitrifying specific rates (qNH4 + and qNO3 -) with respect to their values obtained before storage. Furthermore, during the addition of 15 mg AMP/L (cycles 18-21), the sludge preserved its metabolic capacity to biodegrade 90% of AMP in 2 h. Therefore, long-term storage of nitrifying sludge could be used to preserve nitrifying inocula as bioseeds for bioremediation and bioaugmentation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Maturano-Carrera
- Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco 186, CP 09310 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Omar Oltehua-Lopez
- Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco 186, CP 09310 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Flor de María Cuervo-López
- Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco 186, CP 09310 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Anne-Claire Texier
- Department of Biotechnology-CBS, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. Ferrocarril San Rafael Atlixco 186, CP 09310 Mexico City, Mexico
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Li S, Peng L, Yang C, Song S, Xu Y. Cometabolic biodegradation of antibiotics by ammonia oxidizing microorganisms during wastewater treatment processes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 305:114336. [PMID: 34953231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies on antibiotic removal during wastewater treatment processes are crucial since their release into the environment could bring potential threats to human health and ecosystem. Cometabolic biodegradation of antibiotics by ammonia oxidizing microorganisms (AOMs) has received special attentions due to the enhanced removal of antibiotics during nitrification processes. However, the interactions between antibiotics and AOMs are less well-elucidated. In this review, the recent research proceedings on cometabolic biodegradation of antibiotics by AOMs were summarized. Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) and complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) played significant roles in both nitrification and cometabolic biodegradation of antibiotics. Antibiotics at varying concentrations might pose inhibiting or stimulating effect on AOMs, influencing the microbial activity, community abundance and ammonia monooxygenase subunit A gene expression level. AOMs-induced cometabolic biodegradation products were analyzed as well as the corresponding pathways for each type of antibiotics. The effects of ammonium availability, initial antibiotic concentration, sludge retention time and temperature were assessed on the cometabolic biodegradation efficiencies of antibiotics. This work might provide further insights into the fate and removal of antibiotics during nitrification processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjun Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Lai Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
| | - Chenguang Yang
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya Hainan, 572000, China
| | - Shaoxian Song
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Yifeng Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
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Li J, Gao F, Chen X, Zhang Y, Dong H. Insights into nitrogen removal from seawater-based wastewater through marine anammox bacteria under ampicillin stress: Microbial community evolution and genetic response. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 424:127597. [PMID: 34782200 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Global spread of ampicillin (AMP) in the aquatic environment have attracted much attention recently. Marine anammox bacteria (MAB) have potentials in saline wastewater treatment due to their good salt tolerance. However, to date, the effect resulting from AMP on MAB is still unknown. Herein, the effect of AMP on MAB, involving microbial community evolution and genetic response, was investigated for the first time. A lab-scale reactor inoculated by MAB sludge was operated under saline condition (35 g/L) and AMP stress of different gradients. Within 200 cycles, nitrogen removal performance was monitored and sludge samples were withdrawn for high-throughput sequencing analyses and qPCR. The results confirmed that the nitrogen removal capacity of MAB declined with increasing AMP dosage, and almost collapsed at 300 mg/L AMP. The total nitrogen removal rate and specific anammox activity finally dropped to 0.17 kg N m-3 d-1 and 101.86 mg N g-1VSS d-1, respectively. Pseudoalteromonas (38.13%) dominated the reactor on Cycle 190, which formed a new symbiosis with MAB. And the emergence of oleophilic bacteria such as Colwellia (2.53%) was also observed. Moreover, antibiotic resistance genes were detected with increased abundance and diversity, indicating the AMP dosing significantly promoted microbial community evolution and genetic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Fei Gao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xiuqin Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Yulong Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Huiyu Dong
- National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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Li S, Xu Y, Liang C, Wang N, Song S, Peng L. Enhanced biodegradation of ciprofloxacin by enriched nitrifying sludge: assessment of removal pathways and microbial responses. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 85:409-419. [PMID: 35050892 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2021.609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics are mostly collected by sewage systems, but not completely removed within wastewater treatment plants. Their release to aquatic environment poses a great threat to public health. This study evaluated the removal of a widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotic, ciprofloxacin, in enriched nitrifying culture through a series of experiments by controlling ammonium concentrations and inhibiting functional microorganisms. The removal efficiency of ciprofloxacin at an initial concentration of 50 μg L-1 reached 81.86 ± 3.21% in the presence of ammonium, while only 22.83 ± 8.22% of ciprofloxacin was removed in its absence. A positive linear correlation was found between the ammonia oxidation rate (AOR) and ciprofloxacin biodegradation rate. These jointly confirmed the importance of the AOB-induced cometabolism in ciprofloxacin biodegradation, with adsorption and metabolic degradation pathways playing minor roles. The continuous exposure of AOB to ciprofloxacin led to decreases of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) activities and AOR. The antibacterial effects of ciprofloxacin and its biodegradation products were further evaluated and the results revealed that biodegradation products of ciprofloxacin exhibited less toxicity compared to the parent compound, implying the potential application of cometabolism in alleviation of antimicrobial activity. The findings provided new insights into the AOB-induced cometabolic biodegradation of fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjun Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yifeng Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chuanzhou Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ning Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shaoxian Song
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lai Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China; Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University of Technology, Gaoxin South Fourth Road 19, Yuehai Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518063, China
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Evaluating acute toxicity in enriched nitrifying cultures: Lessons learned. J Microbiol Methods 2021; 192:106377. [PMID: 34798174 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Toxicological batch assays are essential to assess a compound's acute effect on microorganisms. This methodology is frequently employed to evaluate the effect of contaminants in sensitive microbial communities from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), such as autotrophic nitrifying populations. However, despite nitrifying batch assays being commonly mentioned in the literature, their experimental design criteria are rarely reported or overlooked. Here, we found that slight deviations in culture preparations and conditions impacted bacterial community performance and could skew assay results. From pre-experimental trials and experience, we determined how mishandling and treatment of cultures could affect nitrification activity. While media and biomass preparations are needed to establish baseline conditions (e.g., biomass washing), we found extensive centrifugation selectively destabilised nitrification activities. Further, it is paramount that the air supply is adjusted to minimise nitrite build-up in the culture and maintain suitable aeration levels without sparging ammonia. DMSO and acetone up to 0.03% (v/v) were suitable organic solvents with minimal impact on nitrification activity. In the nitrification assays with allylthiourea (ATU), dilute cultures exhibited more significant inhibition than concentrated cultures. So there were biomass-related effects; however, these differences minimally impacted the EC50 values. Using different nutrient-media compositions had a minimal effect; however, switching mineral media for the toxicity test from the original cultivation media is not recommended because it reduced the original biomass nitrification capacity. Our results demonstrated that these factors substantially impact the performance of the nitrifying inoculum used in acute bioassays, and consequently, affect the response of AOB-NOB populations during the toxicant exposure. These are not highlighted in operation standards, and unfortunately, they can have significant consequential impacts on the determinations of toxicological endpoints. Moreover, the practical procedures tested here could support other authors in developing testing methodologies, adding quality checks in the experimental framework with minimal waste of time and resources.
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Lopez C, Nnorom MA, Tsang YF, Knapp CW. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products' (PPCPs) impact on enriched nitrifying cultures. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:60968-60980. [PMID: 34165737 PMCID: PMC8580922 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14696-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The impact of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) on the performance of biological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has been widely studied using whole-community approaches. These contaminants affect the capacity of microbial communities to transform nutrients; however, most have neither honed their examination on the nitrifying communities directly nor considered the impact on individual populations. In this study, six PPCPs commonly found in WWTPs, including a stimulant (caffeine), an antimicrobial agent (triclosan), an insect repellent ingredient (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)) and antibiotics (ampicillin, colistin and ofloxacin), were selected to assess their short-term toxic effect on enriched nitrifying cultures: Nitrosomonas sp. and Nitrobacter sp. The results showed that triclosan exhibited the greatest inhibition on nitrification with EC50 of 89.1 μg L-1. From the selected antibiotics, colistin significantly affected the overall nitrification with the lowest EC50 of 1 mg L-1, and a more pronounced inhibitory effect on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) compared to nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). The EC50 of ampicillin and ofloxacin was 23.7 and 12.7 mg L-1, respectively. Additionally, experimental data suggested that nitrifying bacteria were insensitive to the presence of caffeine. In the case of DEET, moderate inhibition of nitrification (<40%) was observed at 10 mg L-1. These findings contribute to the understanding of the response of nitrifying communities in presence of PPCPs, which play an essential role in biological nitrification in WWTPs. Knowing specific community responses helps develop mitigation measures to improve system resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lopez
- Centre for Water, Environment, Sustainability & Public Health, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, UK
| | - Mac-Anthony Nnorom
- Centre for Water, Environment, Sustainability & Public Health, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, UK
| | - Yiu Fai Tsang
- Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, New Territories, 999077, Hong Kong.
| | - Charles W Knapp
- Centre for Water, Environment, Sustainability & Public Health, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, UK.
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