Understanding building-occupant-microbiome interactions toward healthy built environments: A review

• The built environment, occupants, and microbiomes constitute an integrated ecosystem. • This review summarizes research progress which has focused primarily on microbiomes. • Critical research needs include studying impacts of occupant behaviors on microbiomes. Built environments, occupants, and microbiomes constitute a system of ecosystems with extensive interactions that impact one another. Understanding the interactions between these systems is essential to develop strategies for effective management of the built environment and its inhabitants to enhance public health and well-being. Numerous studies have been conducted to characterize the microbiomes of the built environment. This review summarizes current progress in understanding the interactions between attributes of built environments and occupant behaviors that shape the structure and dynamics of indoor microbial communities. In addition, this review also discusses the challenges and future research needs in the field of microbiomes of the built environment that necessitate research beyond the basic characterization of microbiomes in order to gain an understanding of the causal mechanisms between the built environment, occupants, and microbiomes, which will provide a knowledge base for the development of transformative intervention strategies toward healthy built environments. The pressing need to control the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor environments highlights the urgency and significance of understanding the complex interactions between the built environment, occupants, and microbiomes, which is the focus of this review.     

Distribution of antibiotic resistance genes and their association with bacteria and viruses in decentralized sewage treatment facilities

• Distribution of ARGs in decentralized sewage facilities were investigated. • Bacitracin-ARGs were most predominant ARGs in rural wastewater. • ARGs were identified in bacterial and viral community. • ARGs of rpoB, drfE, gyrA and parC were both correlated with bacteria and phages. • More attention should be paid to the risk of spreading ARG by phages. The distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has been intensively studied in large-scale wastewater treatment plants and livestock sources. However, small-scale decentralized sewage treatment facilities must also be explored due to their possible direct exposure to residents. In this study, six wastewater treatment facilities in developed rural areas in eastern China were investigated to understand their risks of spreading ARGs. Using metagenomics and network analysis tools, ARGs and bacterial and viral communities were identified in the influent (INF) and effluent (EFF) samples. The dominant ARGs belonged to the bacitracin class, which are different from most of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The dominant hosts of ARGs are Acidovorax in bacterial communities and Prymnesiovirus in viral communities. Furthermore, a positive relationship was found between ARGs and phages. The ARGs significantly correlated with phages were all hosted by specific genera of bacteria, indicating that phages had contributed to the ARG’s proliferation in sewage treatment facilities. Paying significant concern on the possible enhanced risks caused by bacteria, viruses and their related ARGs in decentralized sewage treatment facilities is necessary.     

Bacteriophages in water pollution control: Advantages and limitations

•Phages can be better indicators of enteric viruses than fecal indicator bacteria. •Multiple phages should be added to the microbial source tracking toolbox. •Engineered phage or phage cocktail can effectively target resistant bacteria. •In phage use, phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer cannot be ignored. •More schemes are needed to prevent phage concentration from decreasing. Wastewater is a breeding ground for many pathogens, which may pose a threat to human health through various water transmission pathways. Therefore, a simple and effective method is urgently required to monitor and treat wastewater. As bacterial viruses, bacteriophages (phages) are the most widely distributed and abundant organisms in the biosphere. Owing to their capacity to specifically infect bacterial hosts, they have recently been used as novel tools in water pollution control. The purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate the roles of phages in monitoring pathogens, tracking pollution sources, treating pathogenic bacteria, infecting bloom-forming cyanobacteria, and controlling bulking sludge and biofilm pollution in wastewater treatment systems. We also discuss the limitations of phage usage in water pollution control, including phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer, the evolution of bacterial resistance, and phage concentration decrease. This review provides an integrated outlook on the use of phages in water pollution control.     

Characterising populations living close to intensive farming and composting facilities in England

• Bioaerosol emitted from farming and composting facilities may pose health risks. • We describe population characteristics around these sites and infer public concern. • Sites were mapped and overlaid with population, demographic and school data. • Approximately 16% of the population and 15% of schools are located near these sites. • More community health studies need to be conducted around these sites. Bioaerosol exposure has been linked to adverse respiratory conditions. Intensive farming and composting facilities are important anthropogenic sources of bioaerosols. We aimed to characterise populations living close to intensive farming and composting facilities. We also infer whether the public are becoming more concerned about anthropogenic bioaerosol emissions, using reports of air pollution related incidents attributed to facilities. We mapped the location of 1,257 intensive farming and 310 composting facilities in England in relation to the resident population and its characteristics (sex and age), area characteristics (deprivation proxy and rural/urban classification) and school locations stratified by pre-defined distance bands from these bioaerosol sources. We also calculated the average number of air pollution related incidents per year per facility. We found that more than 16% of the population and 15% of schools are located within 4,828 m of an intensive farming facility or 4,000 m of a composting facility; few people (0.01%) live very close to these sites and tend to be older people. Close to composting facilities, populations are more likely to be urban and more deprived. The number of incidents were attributed to a small proportion of facilities; population characteristics around these facilities were similar. Results indicate that populations living near composting facilities (particularly>250 to≤4,000 m) are mostly located in urban areas (80%–88% of the population), which supports the need for more community health studies to be conducted. Results could also be used to inform risk management strategies at facilities with higher numbers of incidents.     

Composition,dispersion, and health risks of bioaerosols in wastewater treatment plants: A review

• Bioaerosols are produced in the process of wastewater biological treatment. • The concentration of bioaerosol indoor is higher than outdoor. • Bioaerosols contain large amounts of potentially pathogenic biomass and chemicals. • Inhalation is the main route of exposure of bioaerosol. • Both the workers and the surrounding residents will be affected by the bioaerosol. Bioaerosols are defined as airborne particles (0.05–100 mm in size) of biological origin. They are considered potentially harmful to human health as they can contain pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This review summarizes the most recent research on the health risks of bioaerosols emitted from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in order to improve the control of such bioaerosols. The concentration and size distribution of WWTP bioaerosols; their major emission sources, composition, and health risks; and considerations for future research are discussed. The major themes and findings in the literature are as follows: the major emission sources of WWTP bioaerosols include screen rooms, sludge-dewatering rooms, and aeration tanks; the bioaerosol concentrations in screen and sludge-dewatering rooms are higher than those outdoors. WWTP bioaerosols contain a variety of potentially pathogenic bacteria, fungi, antibiotic resistance genes, viruses, endotoxins, and toxic metal(loid)s. These potentially pathogenic substances spread with the bioaerosols, thereby posing health risks to workers and residents in and around the WWTP. Inhalation has been identified as the main exposure route, and children are at a higher risk of this than adults. Future studies should identify emerging contaminants, establish health risk assessments, and develop prevention and control systems.     

Aerosol exposure assessment during reclaimed water utilization in China and risk evaluation in case of Legionella

• The Chinese population exposure habits were surveyed. • The risks of three scenarios of reclaimed water utilization were evaluated by QMRA. • The risks were markedly higher than the threshold (10⁻⁴ pppy) recommended by WHO. • The risks were age-, educational background-, region- and gender-specific. Reclaimed water utilization provides an effective way to alleviate water shortage. However, the residual pathogens in the recycled water like Legionella, could be spread into the air as aerosols through water-to-air transmission process. Inhaling the aerosols by the people nearby increases their susceptibility to diseases. For estimating the health risks associated with the potential exposure of airborne Legionella emitted from the urban use of reclaimed water in China, nationwide questionnaire was designed to investigate the exposure habits of Chinese population in different scenarios. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) served as the suitable explanatory tool to estimate the risk. The results indicated that annual infection probability of populations exposed to Legionella for three scenarios, 0.0764 (95% CI: 0.0032–0.6880) for road cleaning, 1.0000 (95% CI: 0.1883–1.0000) for greenfield irrigation, 0.9981 (95% CI: 0.0784–1.0000) for landscape fountain, were markedly higher than the threshold recommended by WHO (10⁻⁴ per person per year (pppy)) according to the concentration distribution of Legionella in the reclaimed water. An age-, educational background-, region- and gender-specific data in annual infection probability also showed different tendencies for some subpopulations. This study provides some detailed information on the health risks from the water reuse in China and will be useful to promote the safe application of reclaimed water in water-deficient areas.     

Identification of sources,characteristics and photochemical transformations of dissolved organic matter with EEM-PARAFAC in the Wei River of China

• The source of DOM in surface water and sediment is inconsistent. • The DOC content changes differently in surface water and sediment. • The content of DOC in the surface water is lower than that in the sediment. • The DOM in the surface water had higher photodegradation potentials than sediment. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in rivers is a critical regulator of the cycling and toxicity of pollutants and the behavior of DOM is a key indicator for the health of the environment. We investigated the sources and characteristics of DOM in surface water and sediment samples of the Wei River, China. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV₂₅₄) increased in the surface water and were decreased in the sediment downstream, indicating that the source of DOM in the water differed from the sediment. Parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis of the excitation-emission matrices (EEM) revealed the presence of terrestrial humus-like, microbial humus-like and tryptophan-like proteins in the surface water, whereas the sediment contained UVA humic-like, UVC humic-like and fulvic-like in the sediment. The DOM in the surface water and sediment were mainly derived from microbial metabolic activity and the surrounding soil. Surface water DOM displayed greater photodegradation potential than sediment DOM. PARAFAC analysis indicated that the terrestrial humic-like substance in the water and the fulvic-like component in the sediment decomposed more rapidly. These data describe the characteristics of DOM in the Wei River and are crucial to understanding the fluctuations in environmental patterns.     

Pelagic-benthic coupling of the microbial food web modifies nutrient cycles along a cascade-dammed river

• Structure of multi-trophic microbial groups were analyzed using DNA metabarcoding. • Discontinuity and trophic interactions were observed along the dam-fragmented river. • C, N and P cycles are driven by top-down and bottom-up forces of microbial food web. • Pelagic-benthic coupling may intensify nutrient accumulation in the river system. Cascade dams disrupt the river continuum, altering hydrology, biodiversity and nutrient flux. Describing the diversity of multi-trophic microbiota and assessing microbial contributions to the ecosystem processes are prerequisites for the restoration of these aquatic systems. This study investigated the microbial food web structure along a cascade-dammed river, paying special attention to the multi-trophic relationships and the potential role of pelagic-benthic coupling in nutrient cycles. Our results revealed the discontinuity in bacterial and eukaryotic community composition, functional group proportion, as well as α-diversity due to fragmentation by damming. The high microbial dissimilarity along the river, with the total multi-trophic β-diversity was 0.84, was almost completely caused by species replacement. Synchronization among trophic levels suggests potential interactions of the pelagic and the benthic groups, of which the β-diversities were primarily influenced by geographic and environmental factors, respectively. Dam-induced environmental variations, especially hydrological and nutrient variables, potentially influence the microbial food web via both top-down and bottom-up forces. We proposed that the cycles of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are influenced by multi-trophic groups through autotrophic and heterotrophic processes, predator–prey relationships, as well as the release of nutrients mainly by microfauna. Our results advance the notion that pelagic-benthic trophic coupling may intensify the accumulation of organic carbon, ammonium and inorganic phosphorus, thereby changing the biogeochemical patterns along river systems. As a consequence, researchers should pay more attention to the multi-trophic studies when assessing the environmental impacts, and to provide the necessary guidance for the ecological conservation and restoration of the dam-regulated systems.     

Biotoxicity evaluation of zinc oxide nanoparticles on bacterial performance of activated sludge at COD,nitrogen, and phosphorus reduction

• ZnO-NP disrupted metabolic/catabolic balance of bacteria by affecting DHA activity. • ZnO-NPs toxicity was related to Zn²⁺ ion, interaction with cell and ROS generation. • Exposure to ZnO-NPs resulted in changed bacterial community structure at sludge. • The change in the EPS content was observed during exposure to ZnO-NPs. The unique properties and growing usage of zinc oxide nanoparticles increase their release in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, these nanoparticles, by interacting with microorganisms, can fail the suitable functioning of biological systems in treatment plants. For this reason, research into the toxicity of ZnO is urgent. In the present study, the toxicity mechanism of ZnO-NPs towards microbial communities central to granular activated sludge (GAS) performance was assessed over 120-day exposure. The results demonstrate that the biotoxicity of ZnO-NPs is dependent upon its dosage, exposure time, and the extent of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, GAS performance and the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content were significantly reduced at 50 mg/L ZnO-NPs. This exposure led to decreases in the activity of ammonia monooxygenase (25.2%) and nitrate reductase (11.9%) activity. The Field emission scanning electron microscopy images confirmed that ZnO-NPs were able to disrupt the cell membrane integrity and lead to cell/bacterial death via intracellular ROS generation which was confirmed by the Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy analysis. After exposure to the NPs, the bacterial community composition shifted to one dominated by Gram-positive bacteria. The results of this study could help to develop environmental standards and regulations for NPs applications and emissions.     

Translocation and biotoxicity of metal (oxide) nanoparticles in the wetland-plant system

• Aquatic plants are more likely to absorb TiO₂ NPs that are beneficial to them. • Ag NPs inhibited the growth of aquatic plants under both 5- and 60-day exposure. • CeO₂ NPs had positive/negative impact on plant in 5/60-day exposure, respectively. • TiO₂ NPs presence could enhance the photosynthesis and increase the plant biomass. • The ENPs changed plant activity, which resulted in changes of wetland performance. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) threaten the environment through wastewater discharging. Generally, constructed wetlands (CWs) are efficient methods for ENPs removal. However, the biotoxicity of ENPs on plants in CWs is unclear. Here, we investigated the distribution and bio-impacts of different ENPs (Ag NPs, TiO₂ NPs, and CeO₂ NPs) in plants under 5- and 60-day exposure to 1 and 50 mg/L concentrations. Results showed that ENPs appeared in the vascular bundle and mesophyll cell space, which induced the variation in antioxidase activities (e.g., superoxide dismutase [SOD], peroxidase [POD], and catalase [CAT] activities) as well as overproduction of malondialdehyde (MDA). Additionally, Ag NPs inhibited photosynthesis rate and root activity during two exposure phases. CeO₂ NPs had positive and negative impacts on plants in 5- and 60-day exposure, respectively. Inversely, TiO₂ NPs enhanced photosynthesis and root activity under 60-day exposure. Finally, the contents of the C, N, and P elements in plants fluctuated in response to ENPs stress. All results have a positive correlation with the wetland performance under ENPs exposure except for TiO₂ NPs treatment. Overall, our study systematically reveals aquatic plants' responses to ENPs and provides a reference for building ecological treatment systems to purify wastewater containing ENPs.     

Wastewater treatment meets artificial photosynthesis: Solar to green fuel production,water remediation and carbon emission reduction

• Mitigating energy utilization and carbon emission is urgent for wastewater treatment. • MPEC integrates both solar energy storage and wastewater organics removal. • Energy self-sustaining MPEC allows to mitigate the fossil carbon emission. • MPEC is able to convert CO₂ into storable carbon fuel using renewable energy. • MPEC would inspire photoelectrochemistry by employing a novel oxidation reaction. Current wastewater treatment (WWT) is energy-intensive and leads to vast CO₂ emissions. Chinese pledge of “double carbon” target encourages a paradigm shift from fossil fuels use to renewable energy harvesting during WWT. In this context, hybrid microbial photoelectrochemical (MPEC) system integrating microbial electrochemical WWT with artificial photosynthesis (APS) emerges as a promising approach to tackle water-energy-carbon challenges simultaneously. Herein, we emphasized the significance to implement energy recovery during WWT for achieving the carbon neutrality goal. Then, we elucidated the working principle of MPEC and its advantages compared with conventional APS, and discussed its potential in fulfilling energy self-sustaining WWT, carbon capture and solar fuel production. Finally, we provided a strategy to judge the carbon profit by analysis of energy and carbon fluxes in a MPEC using several common organics in wastewater. Overall, MPEC provides an alternative of WWT approach to assist carbon-neutral goal, and simultaneously achieves solar harvesting, conversion and storage.     

Integration of microbial reductive dehalogenation with persulfate activation and oxidation (Bio-RD-PAO) for complete attenuation of organohalides

•Bio-RD-PAO can effectively and extensively remove organohalides. •Bio-RD alone effectively dehalogenate the highly-halogenated organohalides. •PAO alone is efficient in degrading the lowly-halogenated organohalides. •The impacts of PAO on organohalide-respiring microbial communities remain elusive. •Bio-RD-PAO provides a promising solution for remediation of organohalide pollution. Due to the toxicity of bioaccumulative organohalides to human beings and ecosystems, a variety of biotic and abiotic remediation methods have been developed to remove organohalides from contaminated environments. Bioremediation employing organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB)-mediated microbial reductive dehalogenation (Bio-RD) represents a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach to attenuate highly-halogenated organohalides, specifically organohalides in soil, sediment and other anoxic environments. Nonetheless, many factors severely restrict the implications of OHRB-based bioremediation, including incomplete dehalogenation, low abundance of OHRB and consequent low dechlorination activity. Recently, the development of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) based on sulfate radicals (SO₄^·−) via the persulfate activation and oxidation (PAO) process has attracted tremendous research interest for the remediation of lowly-halogenated organohalides due to its following advantages, e.g., complete attenuation, high reactivity and no selectivity to organohalides. Therefore, integration of OHRB-mediated Bio-RD and subsequent PAO (Bio-RD-PAO) may provide a promising solution to the remediation of organohalides. In this review, we first provide an overview of current progress in Bio-RD and PAO and compare their limitations and advantages. We then critically discuss the integration of Bio-RD and PAO (Bio-RD-PAO) for complete attenuation of organohalides and its prospects for future remediation applications. Overall, Bio-RD-PAO opens up opportunities for complete attenuation and consequent effective in situ remediation of persistent organohalide pollution.     

New insights into different surfactants’ impacts on sludge fermentation: Focusing on the particular metabolic processes and microbial genetic traits

• The promoting effects for VFA generation follow the order of APG>SDBS>HTAB. • Surfactants improve the WAS solubilization/hydrolysis and acidification processes. • The VFA promotion is associated with surfactants’ distinctive characteristics. • Surfactants induce the enrichment of functional bacteria for VFA biosynthesis. • The vital genes for substrates delivery, metabolism, and VFA yields are upregulated. Surfactants were expected to exhibit positive effects on the waste activated sludge (WAS) disposal. However, the systematic comparison of different categories of surfactants on the WAS fermentation and the functional mechanisms, especially microbial metabolic traits, have not yet been precisely explored. This study revealed the positive effects of different surfactants on the volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, which followed the order of alkyl polysaccharides (APG)>sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS)>hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB). Mechanistic exploration found that the presence of different surfactants improved solubilization and hydrolysis steps, and then contributed to the subsequent acidification with different efficiencies. The functional microorganisms associated with VFA generation were enriched in surfactant-conditioned reactors. Metagenomic analysis further indicated that the key genes involved in the particular process of VFA generation were over-expressed. The simultaneous bioavailable substrate improvement, functional bacterial enrichment, and metabolic activity upregulation induced by different surfactants jointly contributed to VFA promotion during WAS fermentation. This study could provide a comprehensive realization of surfactants’ impacts on the WAS fermentation process, and more importantly, it reminded the public to discern the distinct interplaying effects induced by different chemicals in regulating the WAS disposal and resource recovery.     

Effect of the ultraviolet/chlorine process on microbial community structure,typical pathogens,and antibiotic resistance genes in reclaimed water

• UV/chlorine can effectively remove VBNC pathogens, ARGs and MGEs in reclaimed water. • Microbial community was changed with reduced diversity during UV/chlorine process. • CRBs-carried MGEswere the predominant groups during UV/chlorine process. • No direct co-selection strategy was shared between UV/chlorine and resistome. Urban wastewater contains a wide range of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which are a serious concern if reusing treated wastewater. However, few studies have explored the microbial communities in reclaimed water using ultraviolet (UV)/chlorine treatment and assessed the changes of the resistome. This study investigated the occurrence of typical pathogens, ARGs, and bacterial communities in UV/chlorine-treated reclaimed water samples. The numbers of culturable and viable but non-culturable pathogens were effectively reduced to 0 CFU/mL within 1–10 and 10–30 min after UV/chlorine treatment, respectively. Meanwhile, the physicochemical indices of water quality were not affected. UV/chlorine treatment could significantly change the bacterial community structure of reclaimed water, showing a decrease in bacterial abundance and diversity. Chlorine-resistant Acinetobacter and Mycobacterium were the dominant bacterial genera (>50%) after UV/chlorine treatment. Moreover, the number of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) decreased with an increase in UV/chlorine exposure. However, eight ARGs and three MGEs were consistently detected in more than three seasons, making these major concerns because of their potential role in the persistence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Overall, the results of this study suggest that UV/chlorine treatment can potentially improve the microbiological safety of reclaimed water. And more attention should be paid to the pathogens that are both chlorine-resistant and carry MGEs because of their potential for resistance transmission.     

Bioaerosolization behavior along sewage sludge biostabilization

• Aerosolization behavior during a lab-scale sludge biostabilization was determined. • Many pathogenic species were identified to be preferentially aerosolized. • Bioaerosol concentration along the biostabilization ranged from 160 to 1440 cell/m³. • Sludge aerosolization behavior was different with that of other biowaste. Biostabilization is a cost-effective method for the beneficial utilization of sewage sludge. However, during the operation of sludge biostabilization, some microbial species could be released into the atmospheric environment from the solid-phase of sludge easily and present a high risk to human health. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of bioaerosol during sludge biostabilization. We found a total of nine bacterial phyla, one archaeal phylum, and two fungal phyla in the bioaerosol samples. Among them, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Ascomycota were the dominant phyla. In addition, the bioaerosolization indexes (BI) of prokaryotic phyla and fungal phyla ranged 0–45 and 0–487, respectively. Massilia, Pseudarthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Tremellales spp., and Fusarium were the preferentially aerosolized microbial genera with maximum bioaerosolization indexes of 19962, 10360, 1802, 3055, and 7398. The bioaerosol concentration during the biostabilization ranged from 160 to 1440 cell/m³, and we identified species such as Stenotrophomonas rhizophila and Fusarium graminerum with high bioaerosolization indexes that could be threats to human health. Euryachaeota, which belongs to archaeal phyla, had the highest biostabilization index in our study. We also found that Pseudarthrobacter was the easiest to aerosolize during the sludge biostabilization process.     

The size distribution of airborne bacteria and human pathogenic bacteria in a commercial composting plant

•Bacterial concentrations from eight stages were 10⁴–10⁵copies/m³. •Diameter influenced clustering of bacterial and HPB lineages. •Dg of 8 HPB ranged from 2.42 to 5.09 μm in composting areas. •Dg of 8 HPB ranged from 3.70 to 8.96 μm in packaging areas. •HPB had high concentrations and small sizes in composting areas. Composting plants are regarded as one of the important sources of environmental bioaerosols. However, limitations in the size distribution of airborne bacteria have prevented our comprehensive understanding of their risk to human health and their dispersal behavior. In this study, different sizes of airborne bacteria were collected using an eight-stage impactor from a full-scale composting facility. Size-related abundance and communities of airborne bacteria as well as human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) were investigated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing coupled with droplet digital PCR. Our results indicate that the bacterial concentrations from the eight stages were approximately 10⁴–10⁵copies/m³. Although no statistical correlation was detected between the particle size and the Shannon index, the influence of size on bacterial lineages was observed in both composting and packaging areas. For airborne bacteria from different stages, the dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, and the dominant genera was Bacillus. Seven out of eight HPB with a small geometric mean aerodynamic diameter had a high concentration in composting areas. Based on diameters of 2.42 to 5.09 μm, most HPB in the composting areas were expected to be deposited on the bronchus and secondary bronchus. However, in the packaging areas, the deposition of HPB (diameters 3.70 to 8.96 μm) occurred in the upper part of the respiratory tract. Our results on the size distribution, abundance, and diversity of these bacteria offer important information for the systematic evaluation of bacterial pathogenicity and the potential health impacts on workers in composting plants and the surrounding residents.     

One-step ball milling-prepared nano Fe2O3 and nitrogen-doped graphene with high oxygen reduction activity and its application in microbial fuel cells

• Nano Fe₂O₃ and N-doped graphene was prepared via a one-step ball milling method. • The maximum power density of Fe-N-G in MFC was 390% of that of pristine graphite. • Active sites like nano Fe₂O₃, pyridinic N and Fe-N groups were formed in Fe-N-G. • The improvement of Fe-N-G was due to full exposure of active sites on graphene. Developing high activity, low-cost and long durability catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction is of great significance for the practical application of microbial fuel cells. The full exposure of active sites in catalysts can enhance catalytic activity dramatically. Here, novel Fe-N-doped graphene is successfully synthesized via a one-step in situ ball milling method. Pristine graphite, ball milling graphene, N-doped graphene and Fe-N-doped graphene are applied in air cathodes, and enhanced performance is observed in microbial fuel cells with graphene-based catalysts. Particularly, Fe-N-doped graphene achieves the highest oxygen reduction reaction activity, with a maximum power density of 1380±20 mW/m² in microbial fuel cells and a current density of 23.8 A/m² at –0.16 V in electrochemical tests, which are comparable to commercial Pt and 390% and 640% of those of pristine graphite. An investigation of the material characteristics reveals that the superior performance of Fe-N-doped graphene results from the full exposure of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, pyrrolic N, pyridinic N and excellent Fe-N-G active sites on the graphene matrix. This work not only suggests the strategy of maximally exposing active sites to optimize the potential of catalysts but also provides promising catalysts for the use of microbial fuel cells in sustainable energy generation.     

Review on remediation technologies for arsenic-contaminated soil

• Recent progress of As-contaminated soil remediation technologies is presented. • Phytoextraction and chemical immobilization are the most widely used methods. • Novel remediation technologies for As-contaminated soil are still urgently needed. • Methods for evaluating soil remediation efficiency are lacking. • Future research directions for As-contaminated soil remediation are proposed. Arsenic (As) is a top human carcinogen widely distributed in the environment. As-contaminated soil exists worldwide and poses a threat on human health through water/food consumption, inhalation, or skin contact. More than 200 million people are exposed to excessive As concentration through direct or indirect exposure to contaminated soil. Therefore, affordable and efficient technologies that control risks caused by excess As in soil must be developed. The presently available methods can be classified as chemical, physical, and biological. Combined utilization of multiple technologies is also common to improve remediation efficiency. This review presents the research progress on different remediation technologies for As-contaminated soil. For chemical methods, common soil washing or immobilization agents were summarized. Physical technologies were mainly discussed from the field scale. Phytoextraction, the most widely used technology for As-contaminated soil in China, was the main focus for bioremediation. Method development for evaluating soil remediation efficiency was also summarized. Further research directions were proposed based on literature analysis.     

Integrated energy view of wastewater treatment: A potential of electrochemical biodegradation

• Energy is needed to accelerate the biological wastewater treatment. • Electrical energy input in traditional technology is indirect and inefficient. • Direct injection of electricity can be a game changer to maximize energy efficiency. • Microbial electrochemical unit for decentralized wastewater treatment is proposed. It has been more than one century since the activated sludge process was invented. Despite its proven stability and reliability, the energy (especially the electrical energy) use in wastewater treatment should evolve to meet the increasingly urgent demand of energy efficiency. This paper discusses how the energy utilized in conventional biological wastewater treatment can be altered by switching the indirect energy input to a direct electricity injection, which is achieved by the electrode integration providing extra thermodynamic driving force to biodegradation. By using electrodes instead of oxygen as terminal electron acceptors, the electrical energy can be utilized more efficiently, and the key of direct use of electrical energy in biodegradation is the development of highly active electroactive biofilm and the increase of electron transfer between microbes and the electrode. Furthermore, the synergy of different microbial electrochemical units has additional benefit in energy and resource recovery, making wastewater treatment more sustainable.