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Wang Y, Liu Y, Hao C, Li Y, Liu Y, Lai B, Zhu H, Yang K. Microplastics in wastewater treatment plant: Characterization of changes, influencing factors, and their impact on the spatial distribution of pathogenic bacteria. WATER RESEARCH 2025; 280:123493. [PMID: 40118001 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.123493] [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: 09/18/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2025] [Accepted: 03/12/2025] [Indexed: 03/23/2025]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been proposed as pivotal convergence points for microplastics (MPs) and hotspots of bacterial pathogens. In this study, the characteristics of MPs and bacteria in the sewage/sludge were investigated and their relationship was formulated. Meanwhile, this study innovatively focused on the impact of MPs on microbial aerosolization process in WWTP. MPs and pathogenic bacteria were identified in sewage/sludge samples from all treatment steps, in which the levels and compositions of them vary. However, Bacillus, Planifilum, Achromobacter, and Geobacillus were the dominant genera in bioaerosol samples. The dominant shape of MPs was fibers and fragments. The main size range of MPs were 0.5 - 1 mm, with the primary type of polyethylene and polypropylene. White was the most prevalent color. Furthermore, a significant correlation between MPs and bacterial community structure in sewage/sludge was observed. The abundance and some characteristics of MPs showed positive correlations with the relative abundances of some potential pathogens, including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter and Achromobacter. Aeration experiments demonstrated that the presence of MPs exerted an influence on the microbial aerosolization process. Collectively, this study provides a better understanding of the relationship between MPs and bacterial structures in a WWTP and offers new insights to the role of MPs on the microbial aerosolization process. The findings will provide a basis for the control and reduction of MPs and bacterial pathogens in WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Wang
- School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.
| | - Yifan Liu
- School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.
| | - Changfu Hao
- School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.
| | - Yan Li
- Center for Medical Experiment, The Second Clinical Medical School of Zhengzhou University, The second affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University. Zhengzhou, Henan 450014, PR China.
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.
| | - Bisheng Lai
- School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.
| | - Haoran Zhu
- School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.
| | - Kaixiong Yang
- China Construction Advanced Technology Research Institute, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430075, PR China..
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Zang N, Tian H, Kang X, Liu J. Bioaerosolization behaviour of potential pathogenic microorganisms from wastewater treatment plants: Occurrence profile, social function and health risks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 923:171300. [PMID: 38423328 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171300] [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: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the leading sources of potential pathogenic bioaerosol that cause non-negligible health risks. However, bioaerosolization behaviour of potential pathogenic microorganisms (PPMs) migrating from wastewater to the atmosphere is still unclear. This study investigated the occurrence profile of PPMs in wastewater, sludge and bioaerosol, then analyzed bioaerosolization level, impact factors and social function. Staphylococcus aureus was selected as the target due to its pathogenicity, and the health risks of workers, engineers and researchers wearing various masks (N90, N95 and medical masks) were evaluated. The results showed that there were 38 and 64 PPMs in bioaerosol from plant A and B. Streptomyces in plant A (average bioaerosolization index, BI= 237.71) and Acinetobacter in plant B (average BI = 505.88) were more likely to migrate from wastewater to the atmosphere forming bioaerosol. Environmental factors (relative humidity, wind speed and temperature) affected both BI and microbial species of PPMs in different ways. PPMs related to fermentation, aerobic chemoheterotrophy, and chemoheterotrophy are the most abundant. Meanwhile microbial networks from plants A and B showed that PPMs were well-connected. Emission level of Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosol can reach 980 ± 309.19 CFU/m3 in plant A and 715.55 ± 44.17 CFU/m3 in plant B. For three exposure population, disease burden (DB) and annual probability infection (Py) of Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosol in two plants were both higher than the U.S.EPA benchmark (10-4 DALYs pppy). All three masks (N90,N95 and medical masks) can decrease Py and DB by at least one order of magnitude. This study illustrated the bioaerosolization behaviour of PPMs comprehensively, which provides a scientific basis for exposure risk prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Zang
- Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Urban Sewage System Construction and Risk Control, Beijing 100044, China; Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Hongyu Tian
- Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Urban Sewage System Construction and Risk Control, Beijing 100044, China; School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, PR China; Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Xinyue Kang
- Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Urban Sewage System Construction and Risk Control, Beijing 100044, China; Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Jianwei Liu
- Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Urban Sewage System Construction and Risk Control, Beijing 100044, China; Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100044, China.
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Zhang T, Yan L, Wei M, Su R, Qi J, Sun S, Song Y, Li X, Zhang D. Bioaerosols in the coastal region of Qingdao: Community diversity, impact factors and synergistic effect. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170246. [PMID: 38246385 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170246] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Atmospheric bioaerosols are influenced by multiple factors, including physical, chemical, and biotic interactions, and pose a significant threat to the public health and the environment. The nonnegligible truth however is that the primary driver of the changes in bioaerosol community diversity remains unknown. In this study, putative biological association (PBA) was obtained by constructing an ecological network. The relationship between meteorological conditions, atmospheric pollutants, water-soluble inorganic ions, PBA and bioaerosol community diversity was analyzed using random forest regression (RFR)-An ensemble learning algorithm based on a decision tree that performs regression tasks by constructing multiple decision trees and integrating the predicted results, and the contribution of different rich species to PBA was predicted. The species richness, evenness and diversity varied significantly in different seasons, with the highest in summer, followed by autumn and spring, and was lowest in winter. The RFR suggested that the explanation rate of alpha diversity increased significantly from 73.74 % to 85.21 % after accounting for the response of the PBA to diversity. The PBA, temperature, air pollution, and marine source air masses were the most crucial factors driving community diversity. PBA, particularly putative positive association (PPA), had the highest significance in diversity. We found that under changing external conditions, abundant taxa tend to cooperate to resist external pressure, thereby promoting PPA. In contrast, rare taxa were more responsive to the putative negative association because of their sensitivity to environmental changes. The results of this research provided scientific advance in the understanding of the dynamic and temporal changes in bioaerosols, as well as support for the prevention and control of microbial contamination of the atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Lingchong Yan
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Mingming Wei
- Laoshan District Meteorological Bureau, Qingdao 266107, PR China
| | - Rongguo Su
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Jianhua Qi
- Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Shaohua Sun
- Laoshan District Meteorological Bureau, Qingdao 266107, PR China
| | - Yongzhong Song
- Jufeng Peak Tourist Management Service Center of Laoshan Scenic Spot, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Xianguo Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China
| | - Dahai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China.
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Wang W, Li L, Ma J. Bioaerosols released from multistage biofilter for gaseous benzene removal: Escape behavior and pathogenicity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168817. [PMID: 38029984 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168817] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Biological deodorization systems are widely used to control odors and volatile organic compounds. However, the secondary contamination of bioaerosol emissions is a noteworthy issue in the operation of biofilters for off-gas purification. In this study, a multistage biofilter for benzene treatment was utilized to investigate the bioaerosol emissions under different flow rates and spray intervals. At the outlet of the biofilter, 99-7173 CFU/m3 of bioaerosols were detected, among which pathogens accounted for 8.93-98.73 %. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes dominated bioaerosols at the phylum level. The Mantel test based on the Bray-Curtis distance revealed strong influences of flow rate introduced to the biofilter and biomass colonized on the packing materials (PMs) on bioaerosol emissions. The non-metric multidimensional scaling results suggested a correlation between the bioaerosol community and bacteria on the PMs. Bacillus and Stenotrophomonas were the two main genera stripped from the biofilm on PMs to form the bioaerosols. SourceTracker analysis confirmed that microorganisms from the PMs near outlet contributed an average of 22.3 % to bioaerosols. Pathogenic bacteria carried by bioaerosols included Bacillus, Serratia, Stenotrophomonas, Achromobacter, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas. Bioaerosols were predicted to cause human diseases, with antimicrobial drug resistance and bacterial infectious disease being the two main pathogenic pathways. Stenotrophomonas sp. LMG 19833, Pseudomonas sp., and Stenotrophomonas sp. were the keystone species in the bioaerosol co-occurrence network. Overall, results of present study promote the insight of bioaerosols, particularly pathogen emissions, and provide a basis for controlling bioaerosol contamination from biofilters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
| | - Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China; National Engineering Laboratory for VOCs Pollution Control Material & Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, PR China.
| | - Jiawei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China.
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Zhang G, Lou M, Xu J, Li Y, Zhou J, Guo H, Qu G, Wang T, Jia H, Zhu L. Molecular insights into microbial transformation of bioaerosol-derived dissolved organic matter discharged from wastewater treatment plant. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 183:108404. [PMID: 38154320 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108404] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are important sources of aerosol-derived dissolved organic matter (ADOM) which may threaten human health via the respiratory system. In this study, aerosols were sampled from a typical WWTP to explore the chemical molecular diversity, molecular ecological network, and potential toxicities of the ADOM in the aerosols. The high fluorescence index (>1.9) and biological index (0.66-1.17) indicated the strong autogenous microbial source characteristics of the ADOM in the WWTP. DOM and microbes in the wastewater were aerosolized due to strong agitation and bubbling in the treatment processes, and contributed to 74 % and 75 %, respectively, of the ADOM and microbes in the aerosols. The ADOM was mainly composed of CHO and CHOS accounting for 35 % and 29 % of the total number of molecules, respectively, with lignin-like (69 %) as the major constituent. 49 % of the ADOM transformations were thermodynamically limited, and intragroup transformations were easier than intergroup transformations. Bacteria in the aerosols involved in ADOM transformations exhibited both cooperative and divergent behaviors and tended to transform carbohydrate-like and amino sugar/protein-like into recalcitrant lignin-like. The microbial compositions were affected by atmosphere temperature and humidity indirectly by modulating the properties of ADOM. Tannin-like, lignin-like, and unsaturated hydrocarbon-like molecules in the ADOM were primary toxicity contributors, facilitating the expression of inflammatory factors IL-β (2.2-5.4 folds), TNF-α (3.5-7.0 folds), and IL-6 (3.5-11.2 folds), respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Mingxuan Lou
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jiamin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resources and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yutong Li
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - He Guo
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Guangzhou Qu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Tiecheng Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Hanzhong Jia
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Lingyan Zhu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300385, China.
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