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.     

Overlooked nitrogen-cycling microorganisms in biological wastewater treatment

• AOA and comammox bacteria can be more abundant and active than AOB/NOB at WWTPs. • Coupled DNRA/anammox and NO_x-DAMO/anammox/comammox processes are demonstrated. • Substrate level, SRT and stressors determine the niches of overlooked microbes. • Applications of overlooked microbes in enhancing nitrogen removal are promising. Nitrogen-cycling microorganisms play key roles at the intersection of microbiology and wastewater engineering. In addition to the well-studied ammonia oxidizing bacteria, nitrite oxidizing bacteria, heterotrophic denitrifiers, and anammox bacteria, there are some other N-cycling microorganisms that are less abundant but functionally important in wastewater nitrogen removal. These microbes include, but not limited to ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA), complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) bacteria, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) bacteria, and nitrate/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidizing (NO_x-DAMO) microorganisms. In the past decade, the development of high-throughput molecular technologies has enabled the detection, quantification, and characterization of these minor populations. The aim of this review is therefore to synthesize the current knowledge on the distribution, ecological niche, and kinetic properties of these “overlooked” N-cycling microbes at wastewater treatment plants. Their potential applications in novel wastewater nitrogen removal processes are also discussed. A comprehensive understanding of these overlooked N-cycling microbes from microbiology, ecology, and engineering perspectives will facilitate the design and operation of more efficient and sustainable biological nitrogen removal processes.     

A review on anammox process for the treatment of antibiotic-containing wastewater: Linking effects with corresponding mechanisms

• Anammox is promising for nitrogen removal from antibiotic-containing wastewater. • Most antibiotics could inhibit the anammox performance and activity. • Antibiotic pressure promoted the increase in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). • Antibiotic-resistance mechanisms of anammox bacteria are speculated. Antibiotic is widely present in the effluent from livestock husbandry and the pharmaceutical industry. Antibiotics in wastewater usually have high biological toxicity and even promote the occurrence and transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. Moreover, most antibiotic-containing wastewater contains high concentration of ammonia nitrogen. Improper treatment will lead to high risk to the surrounding environment and even human health. The anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) with great economic benefit and good treatment effect is a promising process to remove nitrogen from antibiotic-containing wastewater. However, antibiotic inhibition has been observed in anammox applications. Therefore, a comprehensive overview of the single and combined effects of various antibiotics on the anammox system is conducted in this review with a focus on nitrogen removal performance, sludge properties, microbial community, antibiotic resistance genes and anammox-involved functional genes. Additionally, the influencing mechanism of antibiotics on anammox consortia is summarized. Remaining problems and future research needs are also proposed based on the presented summary. This review provides a better understanding of the influences of antibiotics on anammox and offers a direction to remove nitrogen from antibiotic-containing wastewater by the anammox process.     

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.     

Reutilize tire in microbial fuel cell for enhancing the nitrogen removal of the anammox process coupled with iron-carbon micro-electrolysis

• MFC promoted the nitrogen removal of anammox with Fe-C micro-electrolysis. • Reutilize pyrolysis waste tire as micro-electrolysis and electrode materials. • Total nitrogen removal efficiency of modified MFC increased to 85.00%. • Candidatus kuenenia and SM1A02 were major genera responsible for nitrogen removal. In this study, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were explored to promote the nitrogen removal performance of combined anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and Fe-C micro-electrolysis (CAE) systems. The average total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of the modified MFC system was 85.00%, while that of the anammox system was 62.16%. Additionally, the effective operation time of this system increased from six (CAE system alone) to over 50 days, significantly promoting TN removal. The enhanced performance could be attributed to the electron transferred from the anode to the cathode, which aided in reducing nitrate/nitrite in denitrification. The H⁺ released through the proton exchange membrane caused a decrease in the pH, facilitating Fe corrosion. The pyrolyzed waste tire used as the cathode could immobilize microorganisms, enhance electron transport, and produce a natural Fe-C micro-electrolysis system. According to the microbial community analysis, Candidatus kuenenia was the major genus involved in the anammox process. Furthermore, the SM1A02 genus exhibited the highest abundance and was enriched the fastest, and could be a novel potential strain that aids the anammox process.     

Research progress and prospects of complete ammonia oxidizing bacteria in wastewater treatment

• Comammox bacteria have unique physiological characteristics. • Comammox bacteria are widely distributed in natural and artificial systems. • Comammox bacteria have the potential to reduce N₂O emissions. • Coupling comammox bacteria with DEAMOX can be promoted in wastewater treatment. • Comammox bacteria have significant potential for enhancing total nitrogen removal. Complete ammonia oxidizing bacteria, or comammox bacteria (CAOB), can oxidize ammonium to nitrate on its own. Its discovery revolutionized our understanding of biological nitrification, and its distribution in both natural and artificial systems has enabled a reevaluation of the relative contribution of microorganisms to the nitrogen cycle. Its wide distribution, adaptation to oligotrophic medium, and diverse metabolic pathways, means extensive research on CAOB and its application in water treatment can be promoted. Furthermore, the energy-saving characteristics of high oxygen affinity and low sludge production may also become frontier directions for wastewater treatment. This paper provides an overview of the discovery and environmental distribution of CAOB, as well as the physiological characteristics of the microorganisms, such as nutrient medium, environmental factors, enzymes, and metabolism, focusing on future research and the application of CAOB in wastewater treatment. Further research should be carried out on the physiological characteristics of CAOB, to analyze its ecological niche and impact factors, and explore its application potential in wastewater treatment nitrogen cycle improvement.     

Simultaneous Feammox and anammox process facilitated by activated carbon as an electron shuttle for autotrophic biological nitrogen removal

• The autotrophic nitrogen removal combining Feammox and Anammox was achieved. • Activated carbon can be used as an electron shuttle to enhance Feammox activity. • Fe(III) was reduced to Fe(II) and the secondary Fe(II) mineral (FeOOH) was obtained. • The iron-reducing bacteria and Anammox consortium was enriched simultaneously. Ferric iron reduction coupled with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Feammox) is a novel ferric-dependent autotrophic process for biological nitrogen removal (BNR) that has attracted increasing attention due to its low organic carbon requirement. However, extracellular electron transfer limits the nitrogen transformation rate. In this study, activated carbon (AC) was used as an electron shuttle and added into an integrated autotrophic BNR system consisting of Feammox and anammox processes. The nitrogen removal performance, nitrogen transformation pathways and microbial communities were investigated during 194 days of operation. During the stable operational period (days 126–194), the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency reached 82.9%±6.8% with a nitrogen removal rate of 0.46±0.04 kg-TN/m³/d. The contributions of the Feammox, anammox and heterotrophic denitrification pathways to TN loss accounted for 7.5%, 89.5% and 3.0%, respectively. Batch experiments showed that AC was more effective in accelerating the Feammox rate than the anammox rate. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses showed the presence of ferric iron (Fe(III)) and ferrous iron (Fe(II)) in secondary minerals. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that secondary iron species were formed on the surface of iron-AC carrier (Fe/AC), and Fe(III) was primarily reduced by ammonium in the Feammox process. The phyla Anaerolineaceae (0.542%) and Candidatus Magasanikbacteria (0.147%) might contribute to the Feammox process, and Candidatus Jettenia (2.10%) and Candidatus Brocadia (1.18%) were the dominative anammox phyla in the bioreactor. Overall, the addition of AC provided an effective way to enhance the autotrophic BNR process by integrating Feammox and anammox.     

Mechanistic insight into the biofilm formation and process performance of a passive aeration ditch (PAD) for decentralized wastewater treatment

• A Passive Aeration Ditch was developed to treat decentralized wastewater. • A model was developed to describe the process performance. • A high C/N ratio facilitates microbial growth but nitrification deteriorates. • A high salinity decreases both organic and nitrogen contaminants removal. Decentralized wastewater containing elevated salinity is an emerging threat to the local environment and sanitation in remote coastal communities. Regarding the cost and treatment efficiencies, we propose a passive aeration ditch (PAD) using non-woven polyester fabric as a feasible bubbleless aerator and biofilm carrier for wastewater treatment. Consideration has been first given to PAD’s efficacy in treating saline decentralized wastewater, and then to the impact of chemical oxygen demand-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio and salinity on biofilm formation. A multispecies model incorporating the salinity effect has been developed to depict the system performance and predict the microbial community. Results showed that the PAD system had great capacity for pollutants removal. The biofilm thickness increased at a higher C/N ratio because of the boost of aerobic heterotrophs and denitrifying bacteria, which consequently improved the COD and total nitrogen removal. However, this led to the deterioration of ammonia removal. Moreover, while a higher salinity benefited the biofilm growth, the contaminant removal efficiencies decreased because the salinity inhibited the activity of aerobic heterotrophs and reduced the abundance of nitrifying bacteria inside the biofilm. Based on the model simulation, feed water with salinity below 2% and C/N ratio in a range of 1 to 3 forms a biofilm that can reach relatively high organic matter and ammonia removal. These findings not only show the feasibility of PAD in treatment of saline decentralized wastewater, but also offer a systematic strategy to predict and optimize the process performance.     

The combined effects of biomass and temperature on maximum specific ammonia oxidation rate in domestic wastewater treatment

• Actual SAORs was determined using MLVSS and temperature. • Measured SAOR decreased with increasing MLVSS 1.1‒8.7 g/L. • Temperature coefficient (θ) decreased with increasing MLVSS. • Nitrification process was dynamically simulated based on laboratory-scale SBR tests. • A modified model was successfully validated in pilot-scale SBR systems. Measurement and predicted variations of ammonia oxidation rate (AOR) are critical for the optimization of biological nitrogen removal, however, it is difficult to predict accurate AOR based on current models. In this study, a modified model was developed to predict AOR based on laboratory-scale tests and verified through pilot-scale tests. In biological nitrogen removal reactors, the specific ammonia oxidation rate (SAOR) was affected by both mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) concentration and temperature. When MLVSS increased 1.6, 4.2, and 7.1-fold (1.3‒8.9 g/L, at 20°C), the measured SAOR decreased by 21%, 49%, and 56%, respectively. Thereby, the estimated SAOR was suggested to modify when MLVSS changed through a power equation fitting. In addition, temperature coefficient (θ) was modified based on MLVSS concentration. These results suggested that the prediction of variations ammonia oxidation rate in real wastewater treatment system could be more accurate when considering the effect of MLVSS variations on SAOR.     

Enhancing the efficiency of nitrogen removing bacterial population to a wide range of C:N ratio (1.5:1 to 14:1) for simultaneous C & N removal

• Simultaneous C & N removal in Methammox occurs at wide C:N ratio. • Biological Nitrogen Removal at wide C:N ratio of 1.5:1 to 14:1 is not reported. • Ammonia removal shifted from mixotrophy to heterotrophy at high C:N ratio. • Acetogenic population compensated for ammonia oxidizers at high C:N ratio. • Methanogens increase the plasticity of nitrogen removers at high C:N ratio. High C:N ratio in the wastewater limits biological nitrogen removal (BNR), especially in anammox based technologies. The present study attempts to improve the COD tolerance of the BNR process by associating methanogens with nitrogen removing bacterial (NRB) populations. The new microbial system coined as ‘Methammox’, was investigated for simultaneous removal of COD (C) and ammonia (N) at C:N ratio 1.5:1 to 14:1. The ammonia removal rate (11.5 mg N/g VSS/d) and the COD removal rates (70.6 mg O/g VSS/d) of Methammox was close to that of the NRB (11.1 mg N/g VSS/d) and the methanogenic populations (77.9 mg O/g VSS/d), respectively. The activities established that these two populations existed simultaneously and independently in ‘Methammox’. Further studies in biofilm reactor fetched a balanced COD and ammonia removal (55%–60%) at a low C:N ratio (≤2:1) and high C:N ratio (≥9:1). The population abundance of methanogens was reasonably constant, but the nitrogen removal shifted from mixotrophy to heterotrophy as the C:N ratio shifted from low (C:N≤2:1) to high (C:N≥9:1). The reduced autotrophic NRB (ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria and Anammox) population at a high C:N ratio was compensated by the fermentative group that could carry out denitrification heterotrophically. The functional plasticity of the Methammox system to adjust to a broad C:N ratio opens new frontiers in biological nitrogen removal of high COD containing wastewaters.     

Start-up of PN-anammox system under low inoculation quantity and its restoration after low-loading rate shock

• PN-A was start-up under low inoculation amount and a higher NRR was achieved. • PN-anammox system was successfully restored by aggressive sludge discharge. • Increase in granular sludge was the important factor to rapid recovery. • Enrichment of AOB and AnAOB in granular sludge favors the stable operation. Partial nitritation (PN)-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is a promising pathway for the biological treatment of wastewater. However, the destruction of the system caused by excessive accumulation of nitrate in long-term operation remains a challenge. In this study, PN-anammox was initialized with low inoculation quantity in an air-lift reactor. The nitrogen removal rate of 0.71 kgN/(m³·d) was obtained, which was far higher than the seed sludge (0.3 kgN/(m³·d)). Thereafter, excess nitrate build-up was observed under low-loading conditions, and recovery strategies for the PN-anammox system were investigated. Experimental results suggest that increasing the nitrogen loading rate as well as the concentration of free ammonium failed to effectively suppress the nitrite oxidation bacteria (NOB) after the PN-anammox system was disrupted. Afterwards, effluent back-flow was added into the reactor to control the up-flow velocity. As a result, an aggressive discharge of sludge that promoted the synergetic growth of functional bacteria was achieved, leading to the successful restoration of the PN-anammox system. The partial nitritation and anammox activity were in balance, and an increase in nitrogen removal rate up to 1.07 kgN/(m³·d) was obtained with a nitrogen removal efficiency of 82.4% after recovery. Besides, the proportion of granular sludge (over 200 mm) increased from 33.67% to 82.82%. Ammonium oxidation bacteria (AOB) along with anammox bacteria were enriched in the granular sludge during the recovery period, which was crucial for the recovery and stable operation of the PN-anammox system.     

Fate and risk assessment of emerging contaminants in reclaimed water production processes

• PPCPs had the highest removal efficiency in A²O combined with MBR process (86.8%). • ARGs and OPFRs were challenging to remove (6.50% and 31.0%, respectively). • Octocrylene and tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate posed high risks to aquatic organisms. • Meta-analysis was used to compare the ECs removal in wastewater treatment. • Membrane treatment technology is the most promising treatment for ECs removal. Reclaimed water has been widely applied in irrigation and industrial production. Revealing the behavior of emerging contaminants in the production process of reclaimed water is the first prerequisite for developing relevant water quality standards. This study investigated 43 emerging contaminants, including 22 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), 11 organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), and 10 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in 3 reclaimed wastewater treatment plants (RWTPs) in Beijing. The composition profiles and removal efficiencies of these contaminants in RWTPs were determined. The results indicated that the distribution characteristics of the different types of contaminants in the three RWTPs were similar. Caffeine, sul2 and tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate were the dominant substances in the wastewater, and their highest concentrations were 27104 ng/L, 1.4 × 10⁷ copies/mL and 262 ng/L, respectively. Ofloxacin and sul2 were observed to be the dominant substances in the sludge, and their highest concentrations were 5419 ng/g and 3.7 × 10⁸ copies/g, respectively. Anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system combined with the membrane bioreactor process achieved a relatively high aqueous removal of PPCPs (87%). ARGs and OPFRs were challenging to remove, with average removal rates of 6.5% and 31%, respectively. Quantitative meta-analysis indicated that tertiary treatment processes performed better in emerging contaminant removal than secondary processes. Diethyltoluamide exhibited the highest mass load discharge, with 33.5 mg/d per 1000 inhabitants. Octocrylene and tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate posed high risks (risk quotient>1.0) to aquatic organisms. This study provides essential evidence to screen high priority pollutants and develop corresponding standard in RWTPs.     

Electricity-driven ammonia oxidation and acetate production in microbial electrosynthesis systems

• MES was constructed for simultaneous ammonia removal and acetate production. • Energy consumption was different for total nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen removal. • Energy consumption for acetate production was about 0.04 kWh/g. • Nitrate accumulation explained the difference of energy consumption. • Transport of ammonia and acetate across the membrane deteriorated the performance. Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is an emerging technology for producing chemicals, and coupling MES to anodic waste oxidation can simultaneously increase the competitiveness and allow additional functions to be explored. In this study, MES was used for the simultaneous removal of ammonia from synthetic urine and production of acetate from CO₂. Using graphite anode, 83.2%±5.3% ammonia removal and 28.4%±9.9% total nitrogen removal was achieved, with an energy consumption of 1.32 kWh/g N for total nitrogen removal, 0.45 kWh/g N for ammonia nitrogen removal, and 0.044 kWh/g for acetate production. Using boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode, 70.9%±12.1% ammonia removal and 51.5%±11.8% total nitrogen removal was obtained, with an energy consumption of 0.84 kWh/g N for total nitrogen removal, 0.61 kWh/g N for ammonia nitrogen removal, and 0.043 kWh/g for acetate production. A difference in nitrate accumulation explained the difference of total nitrogen removal efficiencies. Transport of ammonia and acetate across the membrane deteriorated the performance of MES. These results are important for the development of novel electricity-driven technologies for chemical production and pollution removal.     

Biological conversion pathways of sulfate reduction ammonium oxidation in anammox consortia

• The SRAO phenomena tended to occur only under certain conditions. • High amount of biomass and non-anaerobic condition is requirement for SRAO. • Anammox bacteria cannot oxidize ammonium with sulfate as electron acceptor. • AOB and AnAOB are mainly responsible for ammonium conversion. • Heterotrophic sulfate reduction mainly contributed to sulfate conversion. For over two decades, sulfate reduction with ammonium oxidation (SRAO) had been reported from laboratory experiments. SRAO was considered an autotrophic process mediated by anammox bacteria, in which ammonium as electron donor was oxidized by the electron acceptor sulfate. This process had been attributed to observed transformations of nitrogenous and sulfurous compounds in natural environments. Results obtained differed largely for the conversion mole ratios (ammonium/sulfate), and even the intermediate and final products of sulfate reduction. Thus, the hypothesis of biological conversion pathways of ammonium and sulfate in anammox consortia is implausible. In this study, continuous reactor experiments (with working volume of 3.8L) and batch tests were conducted under normal anaerobic (0.2≤DO<0.5 mg/L) / strict anaerobic (DO<0.2 mg/L) conditions with different biomass proportions to verify the SRAO phenomena and identify possible pathways behind substrate conversion. Key findings were that SRAO occurred only in cases of high amounts of inoculant biomass under normal anaerobic condition, while absent under strict anaerobic conditions for same anammox consortia. Mass balance and stoichiometry were checked based on experimental results and the thermodynamics proposed by previous studies were critically discussed. Thus anammox bacteria do not possess the ability to oxidize ammonium with sulfate as electron acceptor and the assumed SRAO could, in fact, be a combination of aerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox and heterotrophic sulfate reduction processes.     

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.     

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.     

Effects of Fe(II) on anammox community activity and physiologic response

• 0.12 mmol/L Fe(II) enhanced the total anammox activity and bacterial abundance best. • 0.09 mmol/L Fe(II) led to the best performance on relative anammox activity. • 0.75 mmol/L Fe(II) had an immediate but recoverable inhibition on anammox activity. • More genes but not relative level were expressed at higher Fe(II) concentration. Though there are many literatures studying the effects of iron on anammox process, these studies only focus on the reactor performance and/or the microbial community changes, the detailed effects and mechanisms of Fe(II) on anammox bacterial activity and physiology have not been explored. In this study, four Fe(II) concentrations (0.03, 0.09, 0.12 and 0.75 mmol/L) were employed into the enriched anammox culture. The enhancement and inhibition effects of Fe(II) on anammox process and bacterial physiology were investigated. It was discovered that the anammox process and bacterial growth were enhanced by 0.09 and 0.12 mmol/L Fe(II), in which the 0.12 mmol/L Fe(II) had advantage in stimulating the total anammox activity and bacterial abundance, while 0.09 mmol/L Fe(II) enhanced the relative anammox activity better. The anammox activity could be inhibited by 0.75 mmol/L Fe(II) immediately, while the inhibition was recoverable. Both 0.09 and 0.12 mmol/L Fe(II) induced more genes being expressed, while didn’t show a stimulation on the relative expression level of functional genes. And anammox bacteria showed a stress response to detoxify the Fe inhibition once inhibited by 0.75 mmol/L Fe(II). This study provides more information about physiologic response of anammox bacteria to external influence (enhancement and inhibition), and may also instruct the future application of anammox process in treating various sources of wastewater (containing external disturbances such as heavy metals) and/or different treatment strategies (e.g. from side-stream to main-stream).     

Membrane-based treatment of shale oil and gas wastewater: The current state of knowledge

• Shale oil and gas production generates wastewater with complex composition. • Membrane technologies emerged for the treatment of shale oil and gas wastewater. • Membrane technologies should tolerate high TDS and consume low primary energy. • Pretreatment is a key component of integrated wastewater treatment systems. • Full-scale implementation of membrane technologies is highly desirable. Shale oil and gas exploitation not only consumes substantial amounts of freshwater but also generates large quantities of hazardous wastewater. Tremendous research efforts have been invested in developing membrane-based technologies for the treatment of shale oil and gas wastewater. Despite their success at the laboratory scale, membrane processes have not been implemented at full scale in the oil and gas fields. In this article, we analyze the growing demands of wastewater treatment in shale oil and gas production, and then critically review the current stage of membrane technologies applied to the treatment of shale oil and gas wastewater. We focus on the unique niche of those technologies due to their advantages and limitations, and use mechanical vapor compression as the benchmark for comparison. We also highlight the importance of pretreatment as a key component of integrated treatment trains, in order to improve the performance of downstream membrane processes and water product quality. We emphasize the lack of sufficient efforts to scale up existing membrane technologies, and suggest that a stronger collaboration between academia and industry is of paramount importance to translate membrane technologies developed in the laboratory to the practical applications by the shale oil and gas industry.     

Enhancement on the ammonia oxidation capacity of ammonia-oxidizing archaeon originated from wastewater: Utilizing low-density static magnetic field

• AOA’s ammonia oxidizing capacity was enhanced under moderate magnetic field. • AOA possessed a certain magnetotaxis under uneven magnetic field. • Enhanced ammonia oxidizing capacity was lost once magnetic field was removed. Ammonia-oxidizing archaeon (AOA) could play important roles for nitrogen removal in the bioreactors under conditions such as low pH and low dissolved oxygen. Therefore, enhancing ammonia oxidation capability of AOA has great significance for water and wastewater treatment, especially under conditions like low dissolved oxygen concentration. Utilizing a novel AOA strain SAT1, which was enriched from a wastewater treatment plant by our group, the effect of magnetic field on AOA’s ammonia oxidation capability, its magnetotaxis and heredity were investigated in this study. Compared with control experiment, AOA’s maximum nitrite-N formation rate during the cultivation increased by 56.8% (0.65 mgN/(L·d)) with 20 mT magnetic field. Also, it was testified that AOA possessed a certain magnetotaxis. However, results manifested that the enhancement of AOA’s ammonia oxidation capability was not heritable, that is, lost once the magnetic field was removed. Additionally, the possible mechanism of improving AOA’s ammonia oxidation capability by magnetic field was owing to the promotion of AOA single cells’ growth and fission, rather than the enhancement of their ammonia oxidation rates. The results shed light on the application of AOA and methods to enhance AOA’s ammonia oxidation capability, especially in wastewater treatment processes under certain conditions.