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Zhu Y, Liu S, Chen H, Yu P, Chen C. Evaluating biochar for adsorption of ammonium nitrogen in wastewater:insights into modifications and mechanisms. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 277:121615. [PMID: 40239738 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2025] [Revised: 04/01/2025] [Accepted: 04/13/2025] [Indexed: 04/18/2025]
Abstract
Ammonium nitrogen (NH4+) is a highly recalcitrant pollutant, leading to severe degradation of aquatic ecosystems and posing serious risks to human health. The application of biochar for NH4+ removal from wastewater has gained widespread attention. However, its inherent limitations in adsorption capacity present a significant constraint on its broader practical implementation. To address this limitation, various modification techniques have been developed to endow biochar with a range of physicochemical properties. In this review, a systematic investigation was conducted to assess the efficacy of various modification methods on the adsorptive capacity of biochar for NH4+ in aqueous solutions. Additionally, this review summarizes the adsorption mechanisms which are divided into five categories: hydrogen bonding, pore filling, electrostatic interaction, ion exchange and surface complexation. This review offers valuable insights into the strategies for achieving enhanced adsorption of NH4+ by modified biochar, along with a comprehensive summary of the associated removal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuheng Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, PR China
| | - Sichen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, PR China
| | - Hanbo Chen
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, PR China
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Chongjun Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, PR China.
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Gao YY, Wu YX, Chu WC, Lai L, Sun JH, Zhuang LL, Liu FF. Biochar-amended constructed wetlands enhance sulfadiazine removal and reduce resistance genes accumulation in treatment of mariculture wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 273:121161. [PMID: 39986428 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2025] [Accepted: 02/17/2025] [Indexed: 02/24/2025]
Abstract
With the rapid development of mariculture, an increasing amount of antibiotics are being discharged into the marine environment. Effectively removing antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in mariculture wastewater with a relatively high salinity and low C/N presents challenges. Biochar-amended constructed wetlands (CWs) can effectively remove antibiotics, However, few studies have compared the impacts of biochar-amended CWs pyrolyzed at different temperatures on the treatment of mariculture wastewater. Thus, this study utilized biochar prepared at three temperatures as substrate for CWs (CW-300, CW-500, and CW-700), aiming to evaluate their efficiency to treat mariculture wastewater containing antibiotic sulfadiazine (SDZ). The results demonstrated that compared to traditional quartz sand-filled CW (NCW), the addition of biochar with a larger specific surface area significantly enhanced the removal efficiency of SDZ by 21.72%-46.96%. Additionally, the addition of biochar effectively reduced the relative abundance of one integron gene (int1) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) including sul1, sul2, and sul3 in both effluent and substrates. The addition of biochar reduced the accumulation of extracellular polymeric substances within the substrate of CWs, thereby mitigating the proliferation and spread of ARGs. The microbial community structure indicated that the addition of biochar increased the abundance of the potential antibiotic-degrading bacteria such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota, facilitating the degradation of SDZ and mitigating the accumulation of ARGs. This study demonstrated that biochar can be a promising substrate in CWs for treating mariculture wastewater containing antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Yuan Gao
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Yu-Xin Wu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Wang-Chao Chu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Li Lai
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Jia-Hao Sun
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Lin-Lan Zhuang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Fei-Fei Liu
- School of Nuclear Science, Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250061, China; Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China.
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Feng Y, Xie T, Li F. New challenge: Mitigation and control of antibiotic resistant genes in aquatic environments by biochar. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174385. [PMID: 38960194 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
With an increase of diverse contaminants in the environment, particularly antibiotics, the maintenance and propagation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are promoted by co-selection mechanisms. ARGs are difficult to degrade, cause long-lasting pollution, and are widely transmitted in aquatic environments. Biochar is frequently used to remove various pollutants during environmental remediation. Thus, this review provides a thorough analysis of the current state of ARGs in the aquatic environment as well as their removal by using biochar. This article summarizes the research and application of biochar and modified biochar to remove ARGs in aquatic environments, in order to refine the following contents: 1) fill gaps in the research on the various ARG behaviors mediated by biochar and some influence factors, 2) further investigate the mechanisms involved in effects of biochar on extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) in aquatic environments, including direct and the indirect effects, 3) describe the propagation process and resistance mechanisms of ARGs, 4) propose the challenges and prospects of feasibility of application and subsequent treatment in actual aquatic environment. Here we highlight the most recent research on the use of biochar to remove ARGs from aquatic environments and suggest future directions for optimization, as well as current perspectives to guide future studies on the removal of ARGs from aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Feng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, China Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Tong Xie
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, China Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Fengxiang Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, China Tianjin Engineering Center of Environmental Diagnosis and Contamination Remediation, Tianjin 300350, China.
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Wei L, Han Y, Zheng J, Xu X, Zhu L. Accelerated dissemination of antibiotic resistant genes via conjugative transfer driven by deficient denitrification in biochar-based biofiltration systems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 934:173268. [PMID: 38754503 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Biofiltration systems harbored and disseminated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), when confronting antibiotic-contained wastewater. Biochar, a widely used environmental remediation material, can mitigate antibiotic stress on adjoining microbes by lowering the availability of sorbed antibiotics, and enhance the attachment of denitrifiers. Herein, bench-scale biofiltration systems, packed with commercial biochars, were established to explore the pivotal drivers affecting ARG emergence. Results showed that biofiltration columns, achieving higher TN removal and denitrification capacity, showed a significant decrease in ARG accumulation (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of ARGs (0.014 ± 0.0008) in the attached biofilms decreased to 1/5-folds of that in the control group (0.065 ± 0.004). Functional analysis indicated ARGs' accumulation was less attributed to ARG activation or horizontal gene transfer (HGT) driven by sorbed antibiotics. Most denitrifiers, like Bradyrhizobium, Geothrix, etc., were found to be enriched and host ARGs. Nitrosative stress from deficient denitrification was demonstrated to be the dominant driver for affecting ARG accumulation and dissemination. Metagenomic and metaproteomic analysis revealed that nitrosative stress promoted the conjugative HGT of ARGs mainly via increasing the transmembrane permeability and enhancing the amino acid transport and metabolism, such as cysteine, methionine, and valine metabolism. Overall, this study highlighted the risks of deficient denitrification in promoting ARG transfer and transmission in biofiltration systems and natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lecheng Wei
- Institute of Environment Pollution Control and Treatment, College of Environmental and Resource Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University
| | - Yutong Han
- Institute of Environment Pollution Control and Treatment, College of Environmental and Resource Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University
| | - Jingjing Zheng
- Institute of Environment Pollution Control and Treatment, College of Environmental and Resource Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University
| | - Xiangyang Xu
- Institute of Environment Pollution Control and Treatment, College of Environmental and Resource Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory for Water Pollution Control and Environmental Safety, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water Pollution Control, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Liang Zhu
- Institute of Environment Pollution Control and Treatment, College of Environmental and Resource Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory for Water Pollution Control and Environmental Safety, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water Pollution Control, Hangzhou 310058, China; Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University.
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