Exploring the resilience of constructed wetlands to harmful algal blooms disturbances: A study on microbial response mechanisms

Treatment of eutrophic water in pyrite-filled constructed wetland integrated with microelectrolysis driven by iron/sulfur cycle: Performance and mechanism

This study developed a microelectrolysis-integrated constructed wetland with pyrite filler around the cathode (e-PCW) to treat eutrophic water. Results indicated that e-PCW effectively enhanced pyrite dissolution, converting solid-phase electron donors into bioavailable forms, thereby facilitating the enrichment of various denitrifying bacteria on pyrite surfaces. Importantly, iron-reducing and sulfur-reducing bacteria attached to the pyrite surfaces enhanced the conversion of ferric iron and sulfate, thereby driving iron and sulfur cycles and promoting electron transfer. Therefore, synergistic effects of pyrite and microelectrolysis made e-PCW achieve higher total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies. With a hydraulic retention time of 24 h, the highest removal efficiencies of TN and TP achieved 78% and 75%, respectively. Furthermore, when eutrophic water containing high concentration of algae was fed into e-PCW, it consistently demonstrated superior TN and TP removal capabilities. This work provides a valuable approach to optimizing constructed wetland technology for treating eutrophic water.

Algae-constructed wetland integrated system for wastewater treatment: A review

Integrating algae into constructed wetlands (CWs) enhances wastewater treatment, although the results vary. This review evaluates the role of algae in CWs and the performance of different algae-CW (A-CW) configurations based on literature and meta-analysis. Algae considerably improve N removal, although their impact on other parameters varies. Statistical analysis revealed that 70 % of studies report improved treatment efficiencies with A-CWs, achieving average removal rates of 75 % for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 74 % for total nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen, and 79 % for total phosphorus (TP). This review identifies hydraulic retention times, which average 3.1 days, and their varied impact on treatment efficacy. Mixed-effects models showed a slight increase in COD and TP removal efficiencies of 0.6 % every ten days in the A-CWs. Future research should focus on robust experimental designs, adequate algal storage and separation techniques, and advanced modeling to optimize the treatment potential of algae in CWs.

Evaluation of best management practices for mitigating harmful algal blooms risk in an agricultural lake basin using a watershed model integrated with Bayesian Network approach

Lake eutrophication caused by nitrogen and phosphorus has led to frequent harmful algal blooms (HABs), especially under the unknown challenges of climate change, which have seriously damaged human life and property. In this study, a coupled SWAT-Bayesian Network (SWAT-BN) model framework was constructed to elucidate the mechanisms between non-point source nitrogen pollution in agricultural lake watersheds and algal activities. A typical agricultural shallow lake basin, the Taihu Basin (TB), China, was chosen in this study, aiming to investigate the effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) in controlling HABs risks in TB. By modeling total nitrogen concentration of Taihu Lake from 2007 to 2022 with four BMPs (filter strips, grassed waterway, fertilizer application reduction and no-till agriculture), the results indicated that fertilizer application reduction proved to be the most effective BMP with 0.130 of Harmful Algal Blooms Probability Reduction (HABs-PR) when reducing 40% of fertilizer, followed by filter strips with 0.01 of HABs-PR when 4815ha of filter strips were conducted, while grassed waterway and no-till agriculture showed no significant effect on preventing HABs. Furthermore, the combined practice between 40% fertilizer application reduction and 4815ha filter strips construction showed synergistic effects with HABs-PR increasing to 0.171. Precipitation and temperature data were distorted to model scenarios of extreme events. As a result, the combined approach outperformed any single BMP in terms of robustness under extreme climates. This research provides a watershed-level perspective on HABs risks mitigation and highlights the strategies to address HABs under the influence of climate change.

Toxic effects of nanoplastics on biological nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands: Evidence from iron utilization and metabolism

Nanoplastics (NPs) in wastewaters may present a potential threat to biological nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). Iron ions are pivotal in microbially mediated nitrogen metabolism, however, explicit evidence demonstrating the impact of NPs on nitrogen removal regulated by iron utilization and metabolism remains unclear. Here, we investigated how NPs disturb intracellular iron homeostasis, consequently interfering with the coupling mechanism between iron utilization and nitrogen metabolism in CWs. Results indicated that microorganisms affected by NPs developed a siderophore-mediated iron acquisition mechanism to compensate for iron loss. This deficiency resulted from NPs internalization limited the activity of the electron transport system and key enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism. Microbial network analysis further suggested that NPs exposure could potentially trigger destabilization in microbial networks and impair effective microbial communication, and ultimately inhibit nitrogen metabolism. These adverse effects, accompanied by the dominance of Fe3+ over certain electron acceptors engaged in nitrogen metabolism under NPs exposure, were potentially responsible for the observed significant deterioration in nitrogen removal (decreased by 30 %). This study sheds light on the potential impact of NPs on intracellular iron utilization and offers a substantial understanding of the iron-nitrogen coupling mechanisms in CWs.

Illuminating plant-microbe interaction: How photoperiod affects rhizosphere and pollutant removal in constructed wetland?

Rhizosphere is a crucial area in comprehending the interaction between plants and microorganisms in constructed wetlands (CWs). However, influence of photoperiod, a key factor that regulates photosynthesis and rhizosphere microbial activity, remains largely unknown. This study investigated the effect of photoperiod (9, 12, 15 h/day) on pollutant removal and underlying mechanisms. Results showed that 15-hour photoperiod treatment exhibited the highest removal efficiencies for COD (87.26%), TN (63.32%), and NO3--N (97.79%). This treatment enhanced photosynthetic pigmentation and root activity, which increased transport of oxygen and soluble organic carbon to rhizosphere, thus promoting microbial nitrification and denitrification. Microbial community analysis revealed a more stable co-occurrence network due to increased complexity and aggregation in the 15-hour photoperiod treatment. Phaselicystis was identified as a key connector, which was responsible for transferring necessary carbon sources, ATP, and electron donors that supported and optimized nitrogen metabolism in the CWs. Structural equation model analysis emphasized the importance of plant-microbe interactions in pollutant removal through increased substance, information, and energy exchange. These findings offer valuable insights for CWs design and operation in various latitudes and rural areas for small-scale decentralized systems.