Nitrate removal to its fate in wetland mesocosm filled with sponge iron: Impact of influent COD/N ratio

• CW-Fe allowed a high-performance of NO₃^‒-N removal at the COD/N ratio of 0. • Higher COD/N resulted in lower chem-denitrification and higher bio-denitrification. • The application of s-Fe⁰ contributed to TIN removal in wetland mesocosm. • s-Fe⁰ changed the main denitrifiers in wetland mesocosm. Sponge iron (s-Fe⁰) is a porous metal with the potential to be an electron donor for denitrification. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using s-Fe⁰ as the substrate of wetland mesocosms. Here, wetland mesocosms with the addition of s-Fe⁰ particles (CW-Fe) and a blank control group (CW-CK) were established. The NO₃^‒-N reduction property and water quality parameters (pH, DO, and ORP) were examined at three COD/N ratios (0, 5, and 10). Results showed that the NO₃^‒-N removal efficiencies were significantly increased by 6.6 to 58.9% in the presence of s-Fe⁰. NH₄⁺-N was mainly produced by chemical denitrification, and approximately 50% of the NO₃^‒-N was reduced to NH₄⁺-N, at the COD/ratio of 0. An increase of the influent COD/N ratio resulted in lower chemical denitrification and higher bio-denitrification. Although chemical denitrification mediated by s-Fe⁰ led to an accumulation of NH₄⁺-N at COD/N ratios of 0 and 5, the TIN removal efficiencies increased by 4.5%‒12.4%. Moreover, the effluent pH, DO, and ORP values showed a significant negative correlation with total Fe and Fe (II) (P<0.01). High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that Trichococcus (77.2%) was the most abundant microorganism in the CW-Fe mesocosm, while Thauera, Zoogloea, and Herbaspirillum were the primary denitrifying bacteria. The denitrifiers, Simplicispira, Dechloromonas, and Denitratisoma, were the dominant bacteria for CW-CK. This study provides a valuable method and an improved understanding of NO₃^‒-N reduction characteristics of s-Fe⁰ in a wetland mesocosm.     

Enhanced nitrification in integrated floating fixed-film activated sludge (IFFAS) system using novel clinoptilolite composite carrier

Novel carriers with favorable electrophilicity and hydrophilicity were prepared. Novel carriers had the capability of nitrification-enhancing. NH₄⁺-N removal efficiency of IFFAS process rose up to 20% with novel carriers. Nitrosomonadales and Nitrospirales were identified as the functional nitrifiers. The population of Nitrospirales increased by 4.51%. The integrated floating fixed-film activated sludge (IFFAS) process is an ideal preference for nitrification attributing to the longer sludge age for nitrifiers. However, as the core of this process, conventional carriers made of polymer materials usually exhibit negative charge and hydrophobicity on the surface, which is unbeneficial to nitrifying biofilm formation. In this study, novel clinoptilolite composite carriers with favorable hydrophilicity, positive charge and nitrification-enhancing capability were made and implemented in IFFAS system. In comparison with conventional carriers, the novel clinoptilolite composite carriers displayed positive charges on the surface (11.7±1.1 mV, pH 7.0) with increased hydrophilicity (surface contact angle dropped to 76.7°). The novel-carriers-based reactors achieved significantly better NH₄⁺-N removal efficiency at different influent concentrations, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and shock loads (NH₄⁺-N removal efficiency rose up to 20% comparing with the control reactors filled with polyethylene (PE) carriers or activated sludge). High-throughput sequencing (HTS) results indicated the novel clinoptilolite composite carriers provided favorable niche for more types of bacteria, especially for Nitrosomonadales and Nitrospirales (the functional nitrifiers in the system). The population of Nitrospirales increased by 4.51% by using novel clinoptilolite composite carriers comparing with using PE carriers, which ensured enhanced nitrification process. This study was expected to provide a practical option for enhancing wastewater nitrification performance with the novel clinoptilolite composite carrier.     

A heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacterium Halomonas venusta TJPU05 suitable for nitrogen removal from high-salinity wastewater

• H. venusta TJPU05 showed excellent HN-AD ability at high salinity. • Successful expression of AMO, HAO, NAR and NIR confirmed the HN-AD ability of TJPU05. • H. venusta TJPU05 could tolerate high salt and high nitrogen environment. • H. venusta TJPU05 is a promising candidate for the bio-treatment of AW. A novel salt-tolerant heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) bacterium was isolated and identified as Halomonas venusta TJPU05 (H. venusta TJPU05). The nitrogen removal performance of H. venusta TJPU05 in simulated water (SW) with sole or mixed nitrogen sources and in actual wastewater (AW) with high concentration of salt and nitrogen was investigated. The results showed that 86.12% of NH₄⁺-N, 95.68% of NO₃^–-N, 100% of NO₂^–-N and 84.57% of total nitrogen (TN) could be removed from SW with sole nitrogen sources within 24 h at the utmost. H. venusta TJPU05 could maximally remove 84.06% of NH₄⁺-N, 92.33% of NO₃^–-N, 92.9% of NO₂^–-N and 77.73% of TN from SW with mixed nitrogen source when the salinity was above 8%. The application of H. venusta TJPU05 in treating AW with high salt and high ammonia nitrogen led to removal efficiencies of 50.96%, 47.28% and 43.19% for NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^–-N and TN respectively without any optimization. Furthermore, the activities of nitrogen removal–related enzymes of the strain were also investigated. The successful detection of high level activities of ammonia oxygenase (AMO), hydroxylamine oxidase (HAO), nitrate reductase (NAR) and nitrite reductase (NIR) enzymes under high salinity condition further proved the HN-AD and salt-tolerance capacity of H. venusta TJPU05. These results demonstrated that the H. venusta TJPU05 has great potential in treating high-salinity nitrogenous wastewater.     

Removal of ammonium and nitrate through Anammox and FeS-driven autotrophic denitrification

● Simultaneous NH₄⁺/NO₃^– removal was achieved in the FeS denitrification system ● Anammox coupled FeS denitrification was responsible for NH₄⁺/NO₃^– removal ● Sulfammox, Feammox and Anammox occurred for NH₄⁺ removal ● Thiobacillus, Nitrospira , and Ca. Kuenenia were key functional microorganisms An autotrophic denitrifying bioreactor with iron sulfide (FeS) as the electron donor was operated to remove ammonium (NH₄⁺) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) synergistically from wastewater for more than 298 d. The concentration of FeS greatly affected the removal of NH₄⁺/NO₃⁻. Additionally, a low hydraulic retention time worsened the removal efficiency of NH₄⁺/NO₃⁻. When the hydraulic retention time was 12 h, the optimal removal was achieved with NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ removal percentages both above 88%, and the corresponding nitrogen removal loading rates of NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ were 49.1 and 44.0 mg/(L·d), respectively. The removal of NH₄⁺ mainly occurred in the bottom section of the bioreactor through sulfate/ferric reducing anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Sulfammox/Feammox), nitrification, and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) by functional microbes such as Nitrospira, Nitrosomonas, and Candidatus Kuenenia. Meanwhile, NO₃⁻ was mainly removed in the middle and upper sections of the bioreactor through autotrophic denitrification by Ferritrophicum, Thiobacillus, Rhodanobacter, and Pseudomonas, which possessed complete denitrification-related genes with high relative abundances.     

Partial anammox achieved in full scale biofilm process for typical domestic wastewater treatment

• A full scale biofilm process was developed for typical domestic wastewater treatment. • The HRT was 8 h and secondary sedimentation tank was omitted. • Candidatus Brocadia were enriched in the HBR with an abundance of 2.89%. • Anammox enabled a stable ammonium removal of ~15% in the anoxic zone. The slow initiation of anammox for treating typical domestic wastewater and the relatively high footprint of wastewater treatment infrastructures are major concerns for practical wastewater treatment systems. Herein, a 300 m³/d hybrid biofilm reactor (HBR) process was developed and operated with a short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 8 h. The analysis of the bacterial community demonstrated that anammox were enriched in the anoxic zone of the HBR process. The percentage abundance of Candidatus Brocadia in the total bacterial community of the anoxic zone increased from 0 at Day 1 to 0.33% at Day 130 and then to 2.89% at Day 213. Based upon the activity of anammox bacteria, the removal of ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) in the anoxic zone was approximately 15%. This showed that the nitrogen transformation pathway was enhanced in the HBR system through partial anammox process in the anoxic zone. The final effluent contained 12 mg/L chemical oxygen demand (COD), 0.662 mg/L NH₄⁺-N, 7.2 mg/L total nitrogen (TN), and 6 mg/L SS, indicating the effectiveness of the HBR process for treating real domestic wastewater.     

Sludge fermentation liquid addition attained advanced nitrogen removal in low C/N ratio municipal wastewater through short-cut nitrification-denitrification and partial anammox

• Sludge fermentation liquid addition resulted in a high NAR of 97.4%. • Extra NH₄⁺-N from SFL was removed by anammox in anoxic phase. • Nitrogen removal efficiency of 92.51% was achieved in municipal wastewater. • The novel system could efficiently treat low COD/N municipal wastewater. Biological nitrogen removal of wastewater with low COD/N ratio could be enhanced by the addition of wasted sludge fermentation liquid (SFL), but the performance is usually limited by the introducing ammonium. In this study, the process of using SFL was successfully improved by involving anammox process. Real municipal wastewater with a low C/N ratio of 2.8–3.4 was treated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The SBR was operated under anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic (AOA) mode and excess SFL was added into the anoxic phase. Stable short-cut nitrification was achieved after 46d and then anammox sludge was inoculated. In the stable period, effluent total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) was less than 4.3 mg/L with removal efficiency of 92.3%. Further analysis suggests that anammox bacteria, mainly affiliated with Candidatus_Kuenenia, successfully reduced the external ammonia from the SFL and contributed approximately 28%–43% to TIN removal. Overall, this study suggests anammox could be combined with SFL addition, resulting in a stable enhanced nitrogen biological removal.     

Unveiling the interaction mechanisms of key functional microorganisms in the partial denitrification-anammox process induced by COD

● The availability of PD-anammox was investigated with higher NO₃^––N concentration. ● NO₃^––N concentration affects NO₃^––N accumulation during denitrification. ● COD concentration is determinant for N removal pathways in PD-anammox process. ● The synergy/competition mechanisms between denitrifiers and anammox was explored. Partial denitrification-anammox (PD-anammox) is an innovative process to remove nitrate (NO₃^––N) and ammonia (NH₄⁺–N) simultaneously from wastewater. Stable operation of the PD-anammox process relies on the synergy and competition between anammox bacteria and denitrifiers. However, the mechanism of metabolic between the functional bacteria in the PD-anammox system remains unclear, especially in the treatment of high-strength wastewater. The kinetics of nitrite (NO₂^––N) accumulation during denitrification was investigated using the Michaelis-Menten equation, and it was found that low concentrations of NO₃^––N had a more significant effect on the accumulation of NO₂^––N during denitrification. Organic matter was a key factor to regulate the synergy of anammox and denitrification, and altered the nitrogen removal pathways. The competition for NO₂^––N caused by high COD concentration was a crucial factor that affecting the system stability. Illumina sequencing techniques demonstrated that excess organic matter promoted the relative abundance of the Denitratesoma genus and the nitrite reductase gene nirS, causing the denitrifying bacteria Denitratisoma to compete with Cadidatus Kuenenia for NO₂^––N, thereby affecting the stability of the system. Synergistic carbon and nitrogen removal between partial denitrifiers and anammox bacteria can be effectively achieved by controlling the COD and COD/NO₃^––N.     

Methanation and chemolitrophic nitrogen removal by an anaerobic membrane bioreactor coupled partial nitrification and Anammox

● Efficient carbon methanation and nitrogen removal was achieved in AnMBR-PN/A system. ● AOB outcompeted NOB in PN section by limiting aeration and shortening SRT. ● The moderate residual organic matter of PN section triggered PD in anammox unit. ● AnAOB located at the bottom of UASB played an important role in nitrogen removal. An AnMBR-PN/A system was developed for mainstream sewage treatment. To verify the efficient methanation and subsequent chemolitrophic nitrogen removal, a long-term experiment and analysis of microbial activity were carried out. AnMBR performance was less affected by the change of hydraulic retention time (HRT), which could provide a stable influent for subsequent PN/A units. The COD removal efficiency of AnMBR was > 93% during the experiment, 85.5% of COD could be recovered in form of CH₄. With the HRT of PN/A being shortened from 10 to 6 h, nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) of PN/A increased from 60.5% to 80.4%, but decreased to 68.8% when the HRT_PN/A further decreased to 4 h. Microbial analysis revealed that the highest specific ammonia oxidation activity (SAOA) and the ratio of SAOA to specific nitrate oxidation activity (SNOA) provide stable NO₂⁻-N/NH₄⁺-N for anammox, and anammox bacteria (mainly identified as Candidatus Brocadia) enriched at the bottom of Anammox-UASB might play an important role in nitrogen removal. In addition, the decrease of COD in Anammox-UASB indicated partial denitrification occurred, which jointly promoted nitrogen removal with anammox.     

Scrap Iron Filings assisted nitrate and phosphate removal in low C/N waters using mixed microbial culture

• Microbes enhance denitrification under varying DO concentrations and SIF dosages. • Abiotic nitrate reduction rates are proportional to SIF age and dosage. • Over 80% of the simultaneously loaded NO₃⁻-N and PO₄³⁻ is removed biologically. This study focuses on identifying the factors under which mixed microbial seeds assist bio-chemical denitrification when Scrap Iron Filings (SIF) are used as electron donors and adsorbents in low C/N ratio waters. Batch studies were conducted in abiotic and biotic reactors containing fresh and aged SIF under different dissolved oxygen concentrations with NO₃⁻-N and/or PO₄^3- influent(s) and their nitrate/phosphate removal and by-product formations were studied. Batch reactors were seeded with a homogenized mixed microbial inoculum procured from natural sludges which were enriched over 6 months under denitrifying conditions in the presence of SIF. Results indicated that when influent containing 40 mg/L of NO₃⁻-N was treated with 5 g SIF, 79.9% nitrate reduction was observed in 8 days abiotically and 100% removal was accomplished in 20 days when the reactor was seeded. Both abiotic and seeded reactors removed more than 92% PO₄³⁻ under high DO conditions in 12 days. Abiotic and biochemical removal of NO₃⁻-N and abiotic removal of PO₄³⁻ were higher under independent NO₃⁻-N/PO₄³⁻ loading, while 99% PO₄^3- was removed biochemically under combined NO₃⁻-N and PO₄³⁻ loading. This study furthers the understandings of nitrate and phosphate removal in Zero Valent Iron (ZVI) assisted mixed microbial systems to encourage the application of SIF-supported bio-chemical processes in the simultaneous removals of these pollutants.     

Removal of tetrachlorobisphenol A and the effects on bacterial communities in a hybrid sequencing biofilm batch reactor-constructed wetland system

SBBR-CW system was proposed to effectively treat wastewater containing TCBPA. CW unit contributed more than SBBR to the removal of TCBPA. TCBPA changed the composition and structure of bacterial community in the system. GAOs massively grew in SBBR, but did not deteriorate TP removal efficiency. Tetrachlorobisphenol A (TCBPA) released into the sewage may cause environmental pollution and health risk to human beings. The objective of this study was to investigate the removal of TCBPA and bacterial community structures in a laboratory-scale hybrid sequencing biofilm batch reactor (SBBR)-constructed wetland (CW) system. The results showed that the removal efficiency of chemical oxidation demand (COD), ammonia, total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the SBBR-CW system was 96.7%, 97.3%, 94.4%, and 88.6%, respectively. At the stable operation stage, the system obtained a 71.7%±1.8% of TCBPA removal efficiency with the influent concentration at 200 mg/L. Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene revealed that the presence of TCBPA not only reduced the bacterial diversity in the SBBR-CW system, but also altered the composition and structure of bacterial community. After the addition of TCBPA, Proteobacteria increased from 31.3% to 38.7%, while Acidobacteria and Parcubacteria decreased greatly in the SBBR. In contrast, Acidobacteria replaced Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum in the upper soils of CW. The results indicated that TCBPA stimulated the growth of GAOs in the SBBR without deteriorating the phosphorus removal due to the presence of sufficient carbon sources. The ammonia oxidizing bacteria, Nitrosomonas, and denitrification bacteria, Hyphomicrobium and Pseudomonas, were inhibited by TCBPA, resulting in a decreasing the removal efficiency of TN and ammonia.     

Insights into simultaneous anammox and denitrification system with short-term pyridine exposure: Process capability,inhibition kinetics and metabolic pathways

• Short-term effect of the pyridine exposure on the SAD process was investigated. • The SAA at 150 mg/L pyridine reduced by 56.7% of the maximum value. • Inhibition kinetics models and inhibitory parameters were indicated. • Collaboration of AnAOB, HDB and PDB promoted the SAD. • Possible metabolic pathways of nitrogen and pyridine were proposed. In-depth knowledge on the role of pyridine as a bottleneck restricting the successful application of anammox-based process treating refractory coking wastewater remains unknown. In this study, the effect of short-term pyridine addition on a simultaneous anammox and denitrification (SAD) system fed with 25–150 mg/L pyridine was explored. The short-term operation showed that the highest total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency was achieved at 25–50 mg/L of pyridine. As the pyridine addition increased, the contribution of the anammox pathway in nitrogen removal decreased from 99.3% to 79.1%, while the denitrification capability gradually improved. The specific anammox activity (SAA) at 150 mg/L pyridine decreased by 56.7% of the maximum SAA. The modified non-competitive inhibition model indicated that the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of pyridine on anammox was 84.18 mg/L and the substrate inhibition constant (K_i) of pyridine for self-degradation was 135.19 mg/L according to the Haldane model. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing confirmed the abundance of Candidatus Kuenenia as the amount of anammox species decreased, while the amounts of denitrifiers and pyridine degraders significantly increased as the pyridine stress increased. Finally, the possible pathways of nitrogen bioconversion and pyridine biodegradation in the SAD system were elucidated through metagenomic analysis and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry results. The findings of this study enlarge the understanding of the removal mechanisms of complex nitrogenous pyridine-containing wastewater treated by the SAD process.     

Nitrogen removal efficiencies and microbial communities in full-scale IFAS and MBBR municipal wastewater treatment plants at high COD:N ratio

• Two IFAS and two MBBR full-scale systems (high COD:N ratio 8:1) were characterized. • High specific surface area carriers grew and retained slow-growing nitrifiers. • High TN removal is related to high SRT and low DO concentration in anoxic tanks. The relative locations of AOB, NOB, and DNB were examined for three different kinds of carriers in two types of hybrid biofilm process configurations: integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) processes. IFAS water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) used Anodkalness^TM K1 carriers (KC) at Broomfield, Colorado, USA and polypropylene resin carriers (RC) at Fukuoka, Japan, while MBBR WRRFs used KC carriers at South Adams County, Colorado, USA and sponge carriers (SC) at Saga, Japan. Influent COD to N ratios ranged from 8:1 to 15:1. The COD and BOD removal efficiencies were high (96%–98%); NH₄⁺-N and TN removal efficiencies were more varied at 72%–98% and 64%–77%, respectively. The extent of TN removal was higher at high SRT, high COD:N ratio and low DO concentration in the anoxic tank. In IFAS, RC with high specific surface area (SSA) maintained higher AOB population than KC. Sponge carriers with high SSA maintained higher overall bacteria population than KC in MBBR systems. However, the DNB were not more abundant in high SSA carriers. The diversity of AOB, NOB, and DNB was fairly similar in different carriers. Nitrosomonas sp. dominated over Nitrosospira sp. while denitrifying bacteria included Rhodobacter sp., Sulfuritalea sp., Rubrivivax sp., Paracoccus sp., and Pseudomonas sp. The results from this work suggest that high SRT, high COD:N ratio, low DO concentration in anoxic tanks, and carriers with greater surface area may be recommended for high COD, BOD and TN removal in WRRFs with IFAS and MBBR systems.     

Sulfur cycle as an electron mediator between carbon and nitrate in a constructed wetland microcosm

• Fe(III) accepted the most electrons from organics, followed by NO₃^‒, SO₄^2‒, and O₂. • The electrons accepted by SO₄^2‒ could be stored in the solid AVS, FeS₂-S, and S⁰. • The autotrophic denitrification driven by solid S had two-phase characteristics. • A conceptual model involving electron acceptance, storage, and donation was built. • S cycle transferred electrons between organics and NO₃^‒ with an efficiency of 15%. A constructed wetland microcosm was employed to investigate the sulfur cycle-mediated electron transfer between carbon and nitrate. Sulfate accepted electrons from organics at the average rate of 0.84 mol/(m³·d) through sulfate reduction, which accounted for 20.0% of the electron input rate. The remainder of the electrons derived from organics were accepted by dissolved oxygen (2.6%), nitrate (26.8%), and iron(III) (39.9%). The sulfide produced from sulfate reduction was transformed into acid-volatile sulfide, pyrite, and elemental sulfur, which were deposited in the substratum, storing electrons in the microcosm at the average rate of 0.52 mol/(m³·d). In the presence of nitrate, the acid-volatile and elemental sulfur were oxidized to sulfate, donating electrons at the average rate of 0.14 mol/(m³·d) and driving autotrophic denitrification at the average rate of 0.30 g N/(m³·d). The overall electron transfer efficiency of the sulfur cycle for autotrophic denitrification was 15.3%. A mass balance assessment indicated that approximately 50% of the input sulfur was discharged from the microcosm, and the remainder was removed through deposition (49%) and plant uptake (1%). Dominant sulfate-reducing (i.e., Desulfovirga, Desulforhopalus, Desulfatitalea, and Desulfatirhabdium) and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (i.e., Thiohalobacter, Thiobacillus, Sulfuritalea, and Sulfurisoma), which jointly fulfilled a sustainable sulfur cycle, were identified. These results improved understanding of electron transfers among carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles in constructed wetlands, and are of engineering significance.     

Removal of arsenic by pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetland

• VFCWs are effective for the treatment of arsenic-containing wastewater. • Arsenic removal did not affect the removal of nutrients, except for TP in CW500. • Arsenic removal was highest when the temperature peaked and the reed was in bloom. • Substrate accumulation contributed more to arsenic removal than plant absorption. Four pilot-scale Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands (VFCWs) filled with gravel and planted with Phragmites australis were operated for seven months in the field to study the efficiency of arsenic removal in contaminated wastewater. The average arsenic removal efficiency by the VFCWs was 52.0%±20.2%, 52.9%±21.3%, and 40.3%±19.4% at the theoretical concentrations of 50 μg/L (CW50), 100 μg/L (CW100), and 500 μg/L (CW500) arsenic in the wastewater, respectively. The results also showed no significant differences in the removal efficiency for conventional contaminants (nitrogen, phosphorus, or chemical oxygen demand) between wastewater treatments that did or did not contain arsenic (P>0.05), except for phosphorus in CW500. The highest average monthly removal rate of arsenic occurred in August (55.9%–74.5%) and the lowest in November (7.8%–15.5%). The arsenic removal efficiency of each VFCW was positively correlated with temperature (P<0.05). Arsenic accumulated in both substrates and plants, with greater accumulation associated with increased arsenic concentrations in the influent. The maximum accumulated arsenic concentrations in the substrates and plants at the end of the experiment were 4.47 mg/kg and 281.9 mg/kg, respectively, both present in CW500. The translocation factor (TF) of arsenic in the reeds was less than 1, with most of the arsenic accumulating in the roots. The arsenic mass balance indicated that substrate accumulation contributed most to arsenic removal (19.9%–30.4%), with lower levels in plants (3.8%–9.5%). In summary, VFCWs are effective for the treatment of arsenic-containing wastewater.     

Treating wastewater under zero waste principle using wetland mesocosms

• Smart wetland was designed to treat wastewater according to zero waste principle. • The system included a dynamic roughing filter, Cyperus papyrus (L.) and zeolite. • It removed 98.8 and 99.8% of chemical and bacterial pollutants in 3 days. • The effluent reused to irrigate a landscape and the sludge recycled as fertilizer. • The plant biomass is a profitable resource for antibacterial and antioxidants. The present investigation demonstrates the synergistic action of using a sedimentation unit together with Cyperus papyrus (L.) wetland enriched with zeolite mineral in one-year round experiment for treating wastewater. The system was designed to support a horizontal surface flow pattern and showed satisfactory removal efficiencies for both physicochemical and bacteriological contaminants within 3 days of residence time. The removal efficiencies ranged between 76.3% and 98.8% for total suspended solids, turbidity, iron, biological oxygen demand, and ammonia. The bacterial indicators (total and fecal coliforms, as well as fecal streptococci) and the potential pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) showed removal efficiencies ranged between 96.9% and 99.8%. We expect the system to offer a smart management for every component according to zero waste principle. The treated effluent was reused to irrigate the landscape of pilot area, and the excess sludge was recycled as fertilizer and soil conditioner. The zeolite mineral did not require regeneration for almost 36 weeks of operation, and enhanced the density of shoots (14.11%) and the height of shoots (15.88%). The harvested plant biomass could be a profitable resource for potent antibacterial and antioxidant bioactive compounds. This could certainly offset part of the operation and maintenance costs and optimize the system implementation feasibility. Although the experiment was designed under local conditions, its results could provide insights to upgrade and optimize the performance of other analogous large-scale constructed wetlands.     

Effect of chemical dose on phosphorus removal and membrane fouling control in a UCT-MBR

Phosphorus removal was enhanced effectively by dosing aluminum sulfate and effluent phosphorus concentration was lower than 0.5 mg/L. Sludge activity was not inhibited but improved slightly with addition of aluminum sulfate. EPS concentrations both in mixed liquid and on membrane surface were decreased, contributing to the effective mitigation of membrane fouling. To enhance phosphorus removal and make the effluent meet the strict discharge level of total phosphorus (TP, 0.5 mg/L), flocculant dosing is frequently applied. In this study, the performance of aluminum sulfate dosing in a University of Cape Town Membrane Bioreactor (UCT-MBR) was investigated, in terms of the nutrients removal performance, sludge characteristics and membrane fouling. The results indicated that the addition of aluminum sulfate into the aerobic reactor continuously had significantly enhanced phosphorus removal. Moreover, COD, NH₄⁺-N and TN removal were not affected and effluent all met the first level A criteria of GB18918-2002. In addition, the addition of aluminum sulfate had improved the sludge activity slightly and reduced trans-membrane pressure (TMP) increase rate from 1.13 KPa/d to 0.57 KPa/d effectively. The membrane fouling was alleviated attributed to the increased average particle sizes and the decreased accumulation of the small sludge particles on membrane surface. Furthermore, the decline of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) concentration in mixed sludge liquid decreased its accumulation on membrane surface, resulting in the mitigation of membrane fouling directly.     

Current status of municipal wastewater treatment plants in North-east China: implications for reforming and upgrading

● The performance and costs of 20 municipal WWTPs were analyzed. ● Effluent COD and NH₄⁺-N effluent exceed the limits more frequently in winter. ● Nitrification and refractory pollutant removal are limited at low temperatures. ● To meet the national standards, electricity cost must increase by > 42% in winter. ● Anammox, granular sludge, and aerobic denitrification are promising technologies. Climate affects the natural landscape, the economic productivity of societies, and the lifestyles of its inhabitants. It also influences municipal wastewater treatment. Biological processes are widely employed in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and the prolonged cold conditions brought by the winter months each year pose obstacles to meeting the national standards in relatively cold regions. Therefore, both a systematic analysis of existing technical bottlenecks as well as promising novel technologies are urgently needed for these cold regions. Taking North-east China as a case, this review studied and analyzed the main challenges affecting 20 municipal WWTPs. Moreover, we outlined the currently employed strategies and research issues pertaining to low temperature conditions. Low temperatures have been found to reduce the metabolism of microbes by 58% or more, thereby leading to chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH₄⁺-N levels that have frequently exceeded the national standard during the winter months. Furthermore, the extracellular matrix tends to lead to activated sludge bulking issues. Widely employed strategies to combat these issues include increasing the aeration intensity, reflux volume, and flocculant addition; however, these strategies increase electricity consumption by > 42% in the winter months. Internationally, the processes of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), granular sludge, and aerobic denitrification have become the focus of research for overcoming low temperature. These have inspired us to review and propose directions for the further development of novel technologies suitable for cold regions, thereby overcoming the issues inherent in traditional processes that have failed to meet the presently reformed WWTP requirements.     

Removal,distribution and plant uptake of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in a simulated constructed wetland system

• PFOS was removed by soil adsorption and plant uptake in the VFCW. • Uptake of PFOS by E. crassipes was more than that of C. alternifolius. • PFOS in wastewater can inhibit the removal of nutrients. • Dosing with PFOS changed the soil microbial community in the VFCW. A vertical-flow constructed wetland (VFCW) was used to treat simulated domestic sewage containing perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The removal rate of PFOS in the domestic sewage was 93%–98%, through soil adsorption and plant uptake, suggesting that VFCWs can remove PFOS efficiently from wastewater. The removal of PFOS in the VFCW was dependent on soil adsorption and plant uptake; moreover, the percentage of soil adsorption was 61%–89%, and was higher than that of the plants uptake (5%–31%). The absorption capacity of Eichhornia crassipes (E. crassipes) (1186.71 mg/kg) was higher than that of Cyperus alternifolius (C. alternifolius) (162.77 mg/kg) under 10 mg/L PFOS, and the transfer factor of PFOS in E. crassipes and C. alternifolius was 0.04 and 0.58, respectively, indicating that PFOS is not easily translocated to leaves from roots of wetland plants; moreover, uptake of PFOS by E. crassipes was more than that of C. alternifolius because the biomass of E. crassipes was more than that of C. alternifolius and the roots of E. crassipes can take up PFOS directly from wastewater while C. alternifolius needs to do so via its roots in the soil. The concentration of 10 mg/L PFOS had an obvious inhibitory effect on the removal rate of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, and ammonia nitrogen in the VFCW, which decreased by 15%, 10%, 10% and 12%, respectively. Dosing with PFOS in the wastewater reduced the bacterial richness but increased the diversity in soil because PFOS stimulated the growth of PFOS-tolerant strains.