Assessment of a novel microalgae-cork based technology for removing antibiotics, pesticides and nitrates from groundwater

Green solutions for treating groundwater polluted with nitrates, pesticides, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes for drinking water production

The present study evaluates for the first time the seasonal performance of an innovative green groundwater treatment. The pilot plant combines microalgae-bacteria treatment and a cork-wood biofilter to reduce nitrates, pesticides, antibiotics (ABs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from groundwater. Groundwater had nitrate concentrations ranging from 220 to 410 mg/L, while ABs (sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones) and pesticides (triazines) were detected at concentrations ranging from a few ng/L to 150 ng/L. Only the gene targets sul1, tetM and the class 1 integron-integrase gene (intl1) were detected in the groundwater. The microalgae-biofilter treatment system effectively removed 15%-98% of nitrates, depending on the season, and consistently eliminated over 90% of ABs and pesticides year-round. Among the components of the treatment system, the microalgal system was the most effective at removing ABs and pesticides. However, the cork-wood biofilter showed superior performance in reducing the bacterial load in groundwater, achieving more than a 1-log reduction in the absolute abundance of genes such as sul1 and intl1. The accumulation of ABs and pesticides in microalgae biomass was minimal or undetectable (<20 ng/g of fresh weight). Overall, our results indicate that the microalgae-biofilter treatment plant is an effective solution for significantly reducing nitrates, antibiotics, and pesticides from groundwaters, while also producing a valuable biomass, and meeting drinking water standards during warmer months.

Micro-nano bubbles enhanced immobilized Chlorella vulgaris to remove ofloxacin from groundwater

The phenomenon of antibiotic pollution has emerged as a significant global environmental concern. However, there is a lack of technical research on the effective removal of antibiotics based on the characteristics of the groundwater environment. This paper used micro-nano bubbles (MNBs) enhanced immobilized Chlorella technology to remove ofloxacin (OFLX) from groundwater. The study discussed the impact of initial antibiotic concentration (5-30 mg/mL), algae concentration (0.25-4 bead/mL), aeration time (5-30 min), and coexisting ions on the antibiotic removal rate and analyzed the removal mechanism by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results showed that MNBs increased Chlorella vulgaris biomass by 2.48 times and significantly improved OFLX removal efficiency. The removal rate of OFLX exhibited a significant positive correlation with the algal concentration and coexisting ions and a significant negative correlation with the aeration time and the initial concentration of antibiotics. Enhanced immobilization of Chlorella vulgaris by MNBs for OFLX removal may involve -NH, -OH, -C=O, -CH2, and -C-O-C groups. Degradation (including biodegradation and non-biodegradation) is the primary mechanism of antibiotic removal. Overall, intensive immobilization of Chlorella by MNBs promises to be a technically feasible method for removing antibiotics from groundwater.

Insights into the removal of antibiotics from livestock and aquaculture wastewater by algae-bacteria symbiosis systems

With the burgeoning growth of the livestock and aquaculture industries, antibiotic residues in treated wastewater have become a serious ecological threat. Traditional biological wastewater treatment technologies-while effective for removing conventional pollutants, such as organic carbon, ammonia and phosphate-struggle to eliminate emerging contaminants, notably antibiotics. Recently, the use of microalgae has emerged as a sustainable and promising approach for the removal of antibiotics due to their non-target status, rapid growth and carbon recovery capabilities. This review aims to analyse the current state of antibiotic removal from wastewater using algae-bacteria symbiosis systems and provide valuable recommendations for the development of livestock/aquaculture wastewater treatment technologies. It (1) summarises the biological removal mechanisms of typical antibiotics, including bioadsorption, bioaccumulation, biodegradation and co-metabolism; (2) discusses the roles of intracellular regulation, involving extracellular polymeric substances, pigments, antioxidant enzyme systems, signalling molecules and metabolic pathways; (3) analyses the role of treatment facilities in facilitating algae-bacteria symbiosis, such as sequencing batch reactors, stabilisation ponds, membrane bioreactors and bioelectrochemical systems; and (4) provides insights into bottlenecks and potential solutions. This review offers valuable information on the mechanisms and strategies involved in the removal of antibiotics from livestock/aquaculture wastewater through the symbiosis of microalgae and bacteria.

Driving mechanism of different nutrient conditions on microbial mediated nitrate reduction in magnetite-present river infiltration zone

Significant research is focused on the ability of riparian zones to reduce groundwater nitrate contamination. Owing to the extremely high redox activity of nitrate, naturally existing electron donors, such as organic matter and iron minerals, are crucial in facilitating nitrate reduction in the riparian zone. Here, we examined the coexistence of magnetite, an iron mineral, and nitrate, a frequently observed coexisting system in sediments, to investigate nitrate reduction features at various C/N ratios and evaluate the response of microbial communities to these settings. Additionally, we aimed to use this information as a foundation for examining the effect of nutritional conditions on the nitrate reduction process in magnetite-present environments. These results emphasise the significance of organic matter in enabling dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and enhancing the connection between nitrate reduction and iron in sedimentary environments. In the later phases of nitrate reduction, nitrogen fixation was the prevailing process in low-carbon environments, whereas high-carbon environments tended to facilitate the breakdown of organic nitrogen. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed a robust association between C/N ratios and alterations in microbial community composition, providing insights into notable modifications in essential functioning microorganisms. The nitrogen-fixing bacterium Ralstonia is more abundant in ecosystems with scarce organic matter. In contrast, in settings rich in organic matter, microorganisms, such as Acinetobacter and Clostridia, which may produce ammonia, play crucial roles. Moreover, the population of iron bacteria grows in such an environment. Hence, this study proposes that C/N ratios can influence Fe(II)/Fe(III) conversions and simultaneously affect the process of nitrate reduction by shaping the composition of specific microbial communities.

Harnessing the potential of microalgae-based systems for mitigating pesticide pollution and its impact on their metabolism

Due to increased pesticide usage in agriculture, a significant concentration of pesticides is reported in the environment that can directly impact humans, aquatic flora, and fauna. Utilizing microalgae-based systems for pesticide removal is becoming more popular because of their environmentally friendly nature, ability to degrade pesticide molecules into simpler, nontoxic molecules, and cost-effectiveness of the technology. Thus, this review focused on the efficiency, mechanisms, and factors governing pesticide removal using microalgae-based systems and their effect on microalgal metabolism. A wide range of pesticides, like atrazine, cypermethrin, malathion, trichlorfon, thiacloprid, etc., can be effectively removed by different microalgal strains. Some species of Chlorella, Chlamydomonas, Scenedesmus, Nostoc, etc., are documented for >90% removal of different pesticides, mainly through the biodegradation mechanism. The antioxidant enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, as well as the complex structure of microalgae cell walls, are mainly involved in eliminating pesticides and are also crucial for the defense mechanism of microalgae against reactive oxygen species. However, higher pesticide concentrations may alter the biochemical composition and gene expression associated with microalgal growth and metabolism, which may vary depending on the type of strain, the pesticide type, and the concentration. The final section of this review discussed the challenges and prospects of how microalgae can become a successful tool to remediate pesticides.

Impact of wastewater characteristics on the removal of organic micropollutants by Chlorella sorokiniana

Microalgae-based technologies can be used for the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from different types of wastewater. However, the effect of wastewater characteristics on the removal is still poorly understood. In this study, the removal of sixteen OMPs by Chlorella sorokiniana, cultivated in three types of wastewater (anaerobically digested black water (AnBW), municipal wastewater (MW), and secondary clarified effluent (SCE)), were assessed. During batch operational mode, eleven OMPs were removed from AnBW and MW. When switching from batch to continuous mode (0.8 d HRT), the removal of most OMPs from AnBW and MW decreased, suggesting that a longer retention time enhances the removal of some OMPs. Most OMPs were not removed from SCE since poor nutrient availability limited C. sorokiniana growth. Further correlation analyses between wastewater characteristics, biomass and OMPs removal indicated that the wastewater soluble COD and biomass concentration predominantly affected the removal of OMPs. Lastly, carbon uptake rate had a higher effect on the removal of OMPs than nitrogen and phosphate uptake rate. These data will give an insight on the implementation of microalgae-based technologies for the removal of OMPs in wastewater with varying strengths and nutrient availability.

Treatment of atrazine-containing wastewater by algae-bacteria consortia: Signal transmission and metabolic mechanism

Atrazine is a toxic endocrine disruptor. Biological treatment methods are considered to be effective. In the present study, a modified version of the algae-bacteria consortia (ABC) was established and a control was simultaneously set up to investigate the synergistic relationship between bacteria and algae and the mechanism by which atrazine is metabolized by those microorganisms. The total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of the ABC reached 89.24% and the atrazine concentration was reduced to below the level recommended by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory standards within 25 days. The protein signal released from the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by the microorganisms triggered the resistance mechanism of the algae, and the conversion of humic acid to fulvic acid and electron transfer constituted the synergistic mechanism between the bacteria and algae. The mechanism by which atrazine is metabolized by the ABC mainly consists of hydrogen bonding, H-pi interactions, and cation exchange with atzA for hydrolysis, followed by a reaction with atzC for decomposition to non-toxic cyanuric acid. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum for bacterial community evolution under atrazine stress, and the analysis revealed that the removal of atrazine within the ABC was mainly dependent on the proportion of Proteobacteria and the expression of degradation genes (p < 0.01). EPS played a major role in the removal of atrazine within the single bacteria group (p < 0.01).

CaTiO3/g-C3N4 heterojunction-based composite photocatalyst: Part I: Experimental design, kinetics, and scavenging agents' effects in photocatalytic degradation of gemifloxacin

A critical, challenging environmental issue is explored pollution of water supplies by discharging industrial/pharmaceutical/hospital/urban wastewaters into the aquatic environment. These needs introducing/developing novel photocatalysts/adsorbents/procedures for removing or mineralizing various pollutants in wastewater before discharging them into marine environments. Further, optimizing conditions to achieve the highest removal efficiency is an important issue. In this study, CaTiO₃/g-C₃N₄ (CTCN) heterostructure was synthesized and characterized by some identification techniques. The simultaneous interaction effects of the experimental variables on the boosted photocatalytic activity of CTCN in the degradation of gemifloxcacin (GMF) were studied in RSM design. The optimal values for four parameters were: catalyst dosage: 0.63 g L^-1, pH: 6.7, C_GMF: 1 mg L^-1, and irradiation time: 27.5 min, with approximately 78.2% of degradation efficiency. The quenching effects of the scavenging agents were studied to show the reactive species' relative importance in GMF photodegradation. The results illustrate that the reactive ^•OH plays a significant role, and the electron plays a minor role in the degradation process. The direct Z-scheme mechanism better described the photodegradation mechanism due to the great oxidative and reductive abilities of prepared composite photocatalysts. This mechanism is an approach to efficiently separating photogenerated charge carriers and improving the CaTiO₃/g-C₃N₄ composite photocatalyst activity. The COD has been performed to study the details of the mineralization of GMF. The pseudo-first-order rat (from the Hinshelwood model) constants of 0.046 min^-1 (t_1/2 = 15.1 min) and 0.048 min^-1 (t_1/2 = 14.4 min) were respectively obtained from the GMF photodegradation data and COD results. The prepared photocatalyst retained its activity after five reusing runs.

Microalgal-induced remediation of wastewaters loaded with organic and inorganic pollutants: An overview

The recent surge in industrialization has intensified the accumulation of various types of organic and inorganic pollutants due to the illegal dumping of partially and/or untreated wastewater effluents in the environment. The pollutants emitted by several industries pose serious risk to the environment, animals and human beings. Management and diminution of these hazardous organic pollutants have become an incipient research interest. Traditional physiochemical methods are energy intensive and produce secondary pollutants. So, bioremediation via microalgae has appeared to be an eco-friendly and sustainable technique to curb the adverse effects of organic and inorganic contaminants because microalgae can degrade complex organic compounds and convert them into simpler and non-toxic substances without the release of secondary pollutants. Even some of the organic pollutants can be exploited by microalgae as a source of carbon in mixotrophic cultivation. Literature survey has revealed that use of the latest modification techniques for microalgae such as immobilization (on alginate, carrageena and agar), pigment-extraction, and pretreatment (with acids) have enhaced their bioremedial potential. Moreover, microalgal components i.e., biopolymers and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) can potentially be exploited in the biosorption of pollutants. Though bioremediation of wastewaters by microalgae is quite well-studied realm but some aspects like structural and functional responses of microalgae toward pollutant derivatives/by-products (formed during biodegradation), use of genetic engineering to improve the tolerance of microalgae against higher concentrations of polluatans, and harvesting cost reduction, and monitoring of parameters at large-scale still need more focus. This review discusses the accumulation of different types of pollutants into the environment through various sources and the mechanisms used by microalgae to degrade commonly occurring organic and inorganic pollutants.

Occurrence, transport, and detection techniques of emerging pollutants in groundwater

Emerging pollutants (EPs) are a group of different contaminants, such as hormones, pesticides, heavy metals, and drugs, usually found in concentrations between the order of ng and µg per liter. The global population's daily city and agro-industrial activities release EPs into the environment.  Due to the chemical nature of EPs and deficient wastewater treatment and management, they are transported to superficial and groundwater through the natural water cycle, where they can potentially cause harmful effects on living organisms. Recent efforts have focused on developing technology that allows EPs quantification and monitoring in real-time and in situ. The newly developed technology aims to provide accessible groundwater management that detects and treats EPs while avoiding their contact with living beings and their toxic effects. This review presents some of the recently reported techniques that have been applied to advance the detection of EPs in groundwater and potential technologies that can be used for EP removal.

Use of wood and cork in biofilters for the simultaneous removal of nitrates and pesticides from groundwater

About 13% and 7% of monitored groundwater stations in Europe exceed the permitted levels of nitrates (50 mg NO₃^- L^-1) or pesticides (0.1 μg L^-1), respectively. Although slow sand filtration can remove nitrates via denitrification when oxygen is limited, it requires an organic carbon source. The present study evaluates the performance of the use of wood pellets and granulated cork as carbon sources in bench-scale biofilters operated under water-saturated and water-unsaturated conditions for more than 400 days. The biofilters were monitored for nitrate (200 mg L^-1) and pesticide (mecoprop, diuron, atrazine, and bromacil, each at a concentration of 5 μg L^-1) attenuation, as well as for the formation of nitrite and pesticide transformation products. Microbiological characterization of each biofilter was also performed. The water-saturated wood biofilter achieved the best nitrate removal (>99%), while the cork biofilters lost all denitrification power over time (from 38% to no removal). The unsaturated biofilter columns were not effective for removing nitrates (20-30% removal). As for pesticides, all the biofilters achieved high removal rates of mecoprop and diuron (>99% and >75%, respectively). Atrazine removal was better in the wood-pellet biofilters than the cork ones (68-96% vs. 31-38%). Bromacil was only removed in the water-unsaturated cork biofilter (67%). However, a bromacil transformation product was formed there. The water-saturated wood biofilter contained the highest number of denitrifying microorganisms, with Methyloversatilis as the characteristic genus. Microbial composition could explain the high removal of pesticides and nitrates achieved in the wood-pellet biofilter. Overall, the results indicate that wood-pellet biofilters operated under water-saturated conditions are a good solution for treating groundwater contaminated with nitrates and pesticides.

Enhanced nitrate, fluoride, and phenol removal using polyurethane sponges loaded with rice husk biochar in immobilized bioreactor

Polyurethane sponges loaded with rice husk biochar were prepared to immobilize Aquabacterium sp. CZ3 for intensified removal of nitrate, fluoride (F-), and phenol, with the maximum efficiency of 100 %, 91 %, and 99 %, respectively. The biochar load and increased carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio (below 3.0) stimulated the secretion of soluble microbial product, improved the electron transport system activity, and promoted denitrification, phenol co-metabolism, and F- and calcium crystallization. The characterization results suggested that F- was removed as fluoride-containing calcium precipitates. According to the microbial community analyses, Aquabacterium was the dominant bacterium. PICRUSt analyses showed that biochar and adequate carbon sources (C:N ratio 3.0) significantly increased the functional abundances of amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, and cell motility. The introduction of biochar reduces the demand for C:N ratio in the system, and expands the application potential of biomineralization technique in the remediation of multiple pollutants contaminated water.