Performance and role of N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing (QS) in aerobic granules

The present study investigated the relationship between N-acyl-homoserine lactone（AHL）-based quorum sensing（QS） and the physico-chemical properties of aerobic granules.Stable mature granules were observed in SBR2 and SBR3 with average diameters of 0.96,and1.49 mm,respectively. The sludge densities of aerobic granules in SBR2 and SBR3 were1.0246,and 1.0201 g/mL,respectively,which were higher than that of flocculent sludge in SBR1（1.0065 g/mL）. The results showed that the activity of AHL-based QS in SBR2 and SBR3 amounted to 2.4- and 2.1-fold induction,however,that in SBR1 with flocculent sludge was1.6-fold induction. In addition,the results also showed that the activity of AHL-based QS in the three reactors rose in the feast condition,and then dropped with the consumption of substrate. However,the activity of AHL-based QS in these three reactors recovered again in prolonged starvation. Furthermore,the results showed that the enhancement of AHL-based QS favored the extracellular polymeric substance production of microorganisms in activated sludge. Thus,it could be concluded that aerobic granules showed higher AHL-based QS than flocculent sludge,which resulted from the higher sludge density of aerobic granules than flocculent sludge. AHL-based QS was related to the metabolism energy in the feast condition; however,in prolonged starvation,microorganisms would emit more AHL-like molecules to protect themselves to resist starvation. Moreover,the enhancement of AHL-based QS favored the EPS component productivity of the microorganisms in activated sludge,which contributed to maintain the aerobic granular structure.     

Use of catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) for pretreatment of high-salinity high-organic wastewater

Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) coupled desalination technology provides a possibility for the effective and economic degradation of high salinity and high organic wastewater. Chloride widely occurs in natural and wastewaters, and its high content jeopardizes the efficacy of Advanced oxidation process (AOPs). Thus, a novel chlorine ion resistant catalyst B-site Ru doped LaFe_1-xRu_xO_3-δ in CWAO treatment of chlorine ion wastewater was examined. Especially, LaFe_0.85Ru_0.15O_3-δ was 45.5% better than that of the 6%RuO₂@TiO₂ (commercial carrier) on total organic carbon (TOC) removal. Also, doped catalysts LaFe_1-xRu_xO_3-δ showed better activity than supported catalysts RuO₂@LaFeO₃ and RuO₂@TiO₂ with the same Ru content. Moreover, LaFe_0.85Ru_0.15O_3-δ has novel chlorine ion resistance no matter the concentration of Cl⁻ and no Ru dissolves after the reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD) refinement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements verified the structure of LaFe_0.85Ru_0.15O_3-δ. Kinetic data and density functional theory (DFT) proved that Fe is the site of acetic acid oxidation and adsorption of chloride ions. The existence of Fe in LaFe_0.85Ru_0.15O_3-δ could adsorb chlorine ion (catalytic activity inhibitor), which can protect the Ru site and other active oxygen species to exert catalytic activity. This work is essential for the development of chloride-resistant catalyst in CWAO.

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