Stimulation of sewage sludge treatment by carbon sources and bioaugmentation with a sludge-derived microbial consortium

Abstract Recently, sewage sludge (SS) disposal has become one of the greatest global challenges. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of faba bean straw (Straw-B), wheat straw (Straw-W), and wood-chip pellets (WCP) amended to SS, as well as bioaugmentation (BA), on the physicochemical characteristics and structure of the microbial community of the treated SS. Sixteen days of incubation of SS-containing mixtures revealed the highest efficiency of Straw-W(BA) in terms of SS stabilisation, i.e., the highest and most stable respiration intensity, the lowest ammonia emission, and the highest stimulation effect on the cress seedling growth. Shotgun sequencing data analysis showed that P…

Toxicity assessment and biodegradation potential of water-soluble sludge containing 2,4,6-trinitrotoluen

The water-soluble phase of trinitrotoluene-containing sludge (SLP) was characterized with regard to trinitrotoluene (TNT) concentration, ecotoxicity, and a model biodegradation experiment as evaluation criteria for further development of appropriate treatment technologies. SLP contained 67.8 mg TNT/l. The results of germination and root-elongation tests indicated that SLP had a species-specific phytotoxic effect. The results of a 21 day degradation experiment demonstrated TNT conversion to 4-amino-2,6-DNT and 2-amino-4,6-DNT, with a simultaneous reduction in the total concentration of nitroaromatics. Addition of inoculum stimulated the TNT degradation process. The presence of the sludge sol…

Cr(VI) sorption by intact and dehydrated Candida utilis cells: differences in mechanisms

The Cr(VI) sorption kinetics by intact and dehydrated Candida utilis cells were studied. Yeast dehydration led to enhanced Cr(VI) sorption activity by cells during the first 15–20 min of rehydration. In experiments with K2Cr2O7 as a chromium source, [Cr2O7]2− was converted into [CrO4]2− during incubation with dehydrated biomass. An effect of the considerably enhanced Cr(VI) sorption activity by dehydrated cells in the buffered media at pH≈8.0 can serve as another confirmation of the different sorption mechanisms of intact and dehydrated C.utilis cells. This effect was not revealed in water solution at pH 8.0. This phenomenon will be studied in further investigations.

Latvijas mālu pielietošana biotehnoloģijā: rezultāti un perspektīvas

Mūsu pētījumi ir saistīti ar Latvijas māliem un no tiem iegūtām sūnainās keramikas granulām. Pētījumi par keramikas nesējmateriālu izveidi sastāv no trim apaksvirzieniem: 1) izejmateriāla testēsana un keramikas nesējmateriālu izgatavosanas tehnoloģijas izstrāde; 2) bioplēves veidosanās uz keramikas granulām: dinamika un noturība; 3) vides attīrīsanas modeļu eksperimenti. Sajā rakstā ir apkopoti galvenie rezultāti par laika periodu no 2010. līdz 2013. gadam, kā arī ieskicēti perspektīvi virzieni turpmākai pētīsanai

The role of nutrients in the biodegradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in liquid and soil.

The widely used explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) has residues that are potentially explosive, toxic, and mutagenic. TNT and other explosives can be degraded by microorganisms; however, biostimulation is needed for process efficiency. To investigate the effectiveness of using biostimulation to degrade TNT, we added varying concentrations of a nutrient amendment consisting of inorganic salts, plant extracts, and molasses to soil and liquid media. For the inoculum we used a consortium of bacteria AM 06 that had exhibited the ability to degrade TNT and which had been previously isolated from explosives-contaminated soils. Phylogenetically, the clones clustered into seven different genera: …

Optimization of microbial biopreparations for soil quality improvement: Testing new formulations

Comparative efficiency of different biofertilizers applied to the same field

Metabolic response of bacteria to elevated concentrations of glyphosate-based herbicide.

Abstract Glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) are the most widespread commonly used broad-spectrum herbicides that contaminate soils and waters, are toxic to bacteria, plants and animals, and have been classified as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2015. Particular soil bacteria and fungi can degrade GBHs, hence, search for new GBH-degrading strains or microbial consortia, effective under specific growth conditions and local environment, seems to be a promising solution for bio-remediation of glyphosate-contaminated environment. Consequently, there is a need for rapid and informative methods to evaluate the GBH-induced changes of the meta…

PHB-based films as matrices for pesticides

Abstract The effects of pesticides incorporated into PHB-based polymeric matrices on the biodegradability of films and antifungal efficiency of immobilised pesticides to Botrytis cinerea was studied. The mass loss of tested PHB-based films for 2 weeks was 40–50% and after 4 weeks 92–96% of the initial mass. The fungicides Ronilan and Sumilex immobilised into the polymeric matrices did not depress the film degradation rate. PHB-based films caused changes in the soil microorganism association. Fungicides immobilised in PHB-based matrices decreased the count of the phytopathogenic fungus B. cinerea.

Potato pulp as a composting substrate

Potato pulp is a waste, which is produced in considerable quantities by starch manufacturing industry. Addition of pulp fibre residue to soil results in beneficial effects on soil physical and biochemical properties. In this study, organic potato pulp was mixed with organic grass in three concentrations (75:25 (A), 50:50 (B) and 25:75 (C) % w/w) with the aim of comparing the dynamics of the composting process during a 30-day period. A mini-field experiment was conducted in 0.7 m 3 windrows which were left without covering and additional mixing during composting process, except sampling procedure. During 30-days’ experiment the C:N ratio decreased from 25÷30 to 13÷17 indicating the active co…

Removal of pharmaceuticals from municipal wastewaters at laboratory scale by treatment with activated sludge and biostimulation.

Abstract Municipal wastewater containing 21 pharmaceutical compounds, as well as activated sludge obtained from the aeration tank of the same wastewater treatment plant were used in lab-scale biodegradation experiments. The concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry and ranged from 13.2 ng/L to 51.8 μg/L. Activated sludge was characterized in the terms of phylogenetic and catabolic diversity of microbial community, as well as its morphology. Proteobacteria (24.0%) represented the most abundant phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes (19.8%) and Firmicutes (13.2%). Bioaugmentation of was…

Determination of pharmaceutical residues and assessment of their removal efficiency at the Daugavgriva municipal wastewater treatment plant in Riga, Latvia

Pharmaceutical products (PPs) belong to emerging contaminants that may accumulate along with other chemical pollutants in wastewaters (WWs) entering industrial and/or urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In the present study, the technique of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap-HRMS) was applied for the analysis of 24 multi-class PPs in WW samples collected at different technological stages of Daugavgriva WWTP located in Riga, Latvia. Caffeine and acetaminophen levels in the range of 7,570–11,403 ng/L and 810–1,883 ng/L, respectively, were the predominant compounds among 19 PPs determined in the WW. The results i…

Effect of hydrogen peroxide on the dehydrogenase and quinone-reductase activity of irradiated Lactobacillus plantarum cells

Abstract The resistance of lactobacilli to oxidative stress is of great importance for their applicability as probiotics. This study aimed to evaluate the response of Lactobacillus plantarum strain ATCC® 14917™, grown in either de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe agar (MRS medium) or tryptic soy broth (TSB medium), to 1–2 mM H2O2 after the exposure to different doses of ionising radiation. Two bacterial extracellular enzyme groups, dehydrogenases (DHAs) and quinone reductases (QRs), served as the criteria of viability and antioxidant activity, respectively. The irradiated L. plantarum culture grown in TSB showed increased QR activity at irradiation doses of 2–50 Gy, with the maximum activity at 10 G…

Wooden biochar as a carrier for endophytic isolates

Abstract Plant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPM) serve as a basis for bio-fertilizers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the wood-derived biochar as a potential carrier for PGPM, previously isolated from plants. The selected microbial consortium was compatible with aged biochar obtained from tree branches and processed at temperatures of 600–800 °C. The effect of the consortium or biochar alone and biochar carrier-based bio-formulation on plant growth was estimated in a 14-day greenhouse experiment with barley. The length of shoots and roots increased by 46% and 32% respectively in comparison with control. Synergy of consortium with biochar was observed regarding root length. Conso…

Antimicrobial Properties of the Modified Cotton Textiles by the Sol-Gel Technology

Comparison of the antimicrobial properties of textiles with amorphous coatings containing Zn and Si obtained by the sol-gel technology against microorganismsPseudomonas fluorescens,Saccharomyces cerevisae,Trichoderma viridethat can cause cotton textile destruction was made. Modified textile were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Investigation of antimicrobial properties of the cotton fabric samples treated with different zinc acetate dihydrate concentration sols and various thermal post-treatments was made. Strong inhibition of microbial growth was detected for all cotton textile samples treated via sol-gel method according all tests microor…

The impact of wood-derived biochar on the survival of Trichoderma spp. and growth of Secale cereale L. in sandy soil

The interrelations between biochar (BC) and soil microbiota remain unclear. Addressing this will be important for understanding how BC affects soil properties and plant growth. Here, we tested the ...

Comparison of Structure and Properties of Differently Treated Illite Clay and Products

The investigation is focused on modification of the structure 2:1 sheet silicates - illite clay by subjecting them to chemical and microbiological impact. It is shown that alkaline activation of illite clay by sodium hydroxide leads to the slight structural changes mainly characterized by water link changes. The effect of bacteria Ps. fluorescens AM PS11on structure changes of illite is small and is influenced on rheology of treated clay.It is shown that the influence of chemical treatment on porosity, bulk density and increase of compressive strength of sintered ceramic samples is notable.

An increased sensitivity of hydrocarbons-degrading bacteria to heavy metals in the presence of diesel oil

The impact of wood-derived biochar on the survival of Trichoderma spp. and growth of Secale cereale L. in sandy soil

The interrelations between biochar (BC) and soil microbiota remain unclear. Addressing this will be important for understanding how BC affects soil properties and plant growth. Here, we tested the influence of wood-derived BC with immobilised Trichoderma viride on rye Secale cereale L. in sandy soil. We found that the addition of BC leads to a significant (P 2+ and Mg2+, as well as a decrease in the concentration of Al3+, irrespective of BC particle size and the presence of T. viride. Plant growth was stimulated in the presence of small (<2 mm) particle-sized BC. Fungal diversity, as well as an absolute and relative abundance of Trichoderma spp., was tested by cultivation-dependent metho…

The effects of woodchip- and straw-derived biochars on the persistence of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) in soils

Sorption and degradation are the primary processes controlling the efficacy and runoff contamination risk of agrochemicals. This study assessed the influence of two biochars, made from woodchips and straw at a pyrolysis temperature of 725°C and applied to a loamy sand and a sandy soil in the concentration of 5.3 g 100 g(-1) sandy soil and 4.1 g 100 g(-1) loamy sand soil, or 53 t ha(-1) for both soil types, on degradation of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA). Soils were spiked with 50 mg MCPA kg(-1) soil. In the sandy soil, significantly more MCPA remained after 100 days if amended with straw-derived biochar in comparison to wood-derived biochar. Both biochars types si…

Waterless Cleaning Compositions with Disinfection Properties: Efficacy and Environmental Aspects / Bezûdens Tîrîðanas Lîdzekïi Ar Dezinficçjoðo Iedarbîbu: Efektivitâte Un Apkârtçjas Vides Aspekti

Abstract The microbial ecology of different indoor environments determines the human microbiome. Hence, cleaning and disinfection of indoor environments like hospitals, apartments, automobiles, etc. are of great importance. Nonaqueous surface cleaning preparations (SCPs) are often used for this purpose. A cleaning composition may contain the following compounds: primary surfactant, cosurfactant, solvent, cosolvent, organotropic (organic solubilizing) agent, hydrotropic (water solubilising) agent, water and salts, and special additives. In this paper, the efficacy of complex preparations is discussed, focusing on the chemical composition and testing methods. Particular attention is paid to q…

Evaluation of the enhanced resistance of Ogataea (Hansenula) polymorpha to benzalkonium chloride as a resource for bioremediation technologies

Abstract Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is highly abundant in wastewaters due to its wide application in household and industrial products. The aim of this research was to compare the resistance of two genetically related strains, Ogataea polymorpha (wild type) and O. polymorpha cat8Δ (recombinant strain), to enhanced concentrations of BAC (≥ 100 mg/L) in terms of its appearance in wastewaters. Inhibition of the respiration activity of wt and cat8Δ by 100 mg/L and 300 mg/L BAC in a xylose-containing broth (4 g/L xylose) was dependent on the carbon source used for obtaining the yeast biomass through ethanol fermentation. The respiration activity of wt in a liquid broth was inhibited by BAC, whi…

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as a tool for investigation of microbial response to the multi-component organic contamination

Evaluation of Glyphosate Ecotoxicity and Biodegradability in the Municipal Wastewaters

Glyphosate (G) is a broad-spectrum systemic organophosphate herbicide being widely used to control weeds in agricultural fields and urban areas. Its safety for both human health and aquatic biomes is a subject of wide debate. This study was aimed at evaluating the removal efficiency and ecotoxicity of G based herbicide (GBH) Klinik® (Nufarm, Austria) added to the raw municipal wastewater (WW) in a lab-scale model column system. The effect of oxide ceramics as a filtering medium (treatment „B”), as well as activated sludge and nutrients (treatment „C”) was compared with the control columns, which contained only WW (treatment „A”). After 72h treatment of WW spiked with 100 mg/L G, the lowest …

Assessment of Bioremediation Strategies for Explosives-Contaminated Sites

Large amounts of soil and water have been contaminated with energetic compounds as a result of the manufacture, storage, testing, use and disposal of munitions as well as the use of nitroaromatic and nitramines as chemical feedstock for synthesis of pesticides, herbicides, dyes, and pharmaceuticals. Historically, TNT (2 methyl-1,3,5, trinitrobenzene) has been the most widely used military explosive (Nicklin et al. 1999; Kulkarni and Chaudhari 2007b). Since TNT is toxic, mutagenic, and also highly energetic (Rosenblatt et al. 1991), TNT contamination has a serious impact on the environment and also threatens human health (Maeda et al. 2007).

Selective enrichment of heterotrophic nitrifiers <em>Alcaligenaceae</em> and <em>Alcanivorax</em> spp. from industrial wastewaters

Removal of nitrogen from wastewaters (WW) represents a global problem. The low nitrification rate during WW treatment is often caused by ecotoxicity. This problem is attributed mostly to the industrial WW. Our study was focused on the testing of industrial WW and activated sludge (AS) with the aim to reveal the abundance of nitrifiers and increase their biomass, thus, providing the additional step, i.e., bioaugmentation, within the technological process of WW treatment. Plating of AS on the selective solidified media designated for the 1st and 2nd nitrification stages, resulted in the shift in bacterial community structure with dominated Alcaligenaceae and Alcanivorax for the 1st stage, and…

MICROBIAL COMMUNITY CHANGES IN TNT SPIKED SOIL BIOREMEDIATION TRIAL USING BIOSTIMULATION, PHYTOREMEDIATION AND BIOAUGMENTATION

Trinitrotoluene (TNT), a commonly used explosive for military and industrial applications, can cause serious environmental pollution. 28-day laboratory pot experiment was carried out applying bioaugmentation using laboratory selected bacterial strains as inoculum, biostimulation with molasses and cabbage leaf extract, and phytoremediation using rye and blue fenugreek to study the effect of these treatments on TNT removal and changes in soil microbial community responsible for contaminant degradation. Chemical analyses revealed significant decreases in TNT concentrations, including reduction of some of the TNT to its amino derivates during the 28-day tests. The combination of bioaugmentation…

Cr(VI) sorption by intact and dehydrated Candida utilis cells in the presence of other metals

This study examined the Cr(VI), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) sorption by intact and dehydrated Candida utilis cells. The anion [Cr2O7]2− and cation Me2+ sorption kinetics was investigated in both single- and dual-metal situations. Uptake of chromate anions occurred much more slowly singularly than with metal cations. A combination of Pb or Cu and chromate anions gave a synergistic effect for Cr(VI) sorption, but not Cd and Zn, which inhibited Cr(VI) sorption by dehydrated cells. The use of alcian blue to occupy maximum vacant adsorption sites on the cell surface unexpectedly did not influence further adsorption of Me2+. Metal uptake by C. utilis was 7 mg (135 μM) Cr, 23 mg (362 μM) Cu, 39…

The effects of ibuprofen on activated sludge: Shift in bacterial community structure and resistance to ciprofloxacin

Abstract Ibuprofen (IBP) is ranked at the 4th place among 57 pharmaceutical compounds according to the number of citations in prioritization documents. The response of microbial community of activated sludge to IBP was studied at the concentrations of 50–5000 mg/L. Batch incubation was performed in an OxiTop® device for 21 days. The reduction of biological oxygen demand depended on the IBP concentration and varied in the range from 321 to 107 mg O 2 /L. Massive DNA sequencing analysis of the activated sludge revealed that Proteobacteria became more dominant when grown in the presence of IBP. Microbial diversity was reduced in the presence of 500–1000 mg/L IBP, but increased again in the pre…

Interrelations of the yeast Candida utilis and Cr(VI): metal reduction and its distribution in the cell and medium

Abstract An effect of chromium(VI) ions on the growth and bioaccumulation properties of growing cells of Candida Utilis was studied. Molasses media for yeast growth containing 20 g glucose l −1 and 50+500 mg Cr(VI) l −1 were used in batch cultivation. Addition of 100 mg Cr(VI) l −1 resulted in a threefold decrease in the cell concentration, as compared with the culture grown without metal. Cr(VI) inhibited culture growth in a concentration-dependent manner, this dependence was not linear. Glucose consumption by growing cells depended on the initial Cr(VI) concentration in the medium and correlated with growth activity. No inhibitory effect of high Cr(VI) concentrations on the activity of so…

Advanced analytical techniques based on high-resolution mass spectrometry for the detection of micropollutants and their toxicity in aquatic environments

Abstract An abundance of micropollutants (MPs) in treated wastewater (WW) and occasionally even in drinking water represents a global threat from the environmental and public health risk standpoint. Along with the development of innovative WW treatment technologies, advanced analytical techniques, such as chromatography hyphenated to high-resolution mass spectrometry, are required for ensuring the detectability of target and nontarget MPs. Further studies on the chronic toxicity of MPs are needed to improve the regulation of hazardous substances in WWs. This article provides an up-to-date overview of the latest methodological developments related to the screening and quantification of MPs, …

Ecotoxicological study on multi-component contamination with hydrocarbons and heavy metals

Modeling the mobility of glyphosate from two contrasting agricultural soils in laboratory column experiments

Glyphosate (GLP) currently is one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide. The persistence of GLP and its major metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in the environment has been described by other authors. This study was aimed at comparing the GLP and AMPA behavior in sandy and loamy sand soils after spiking with enhanced (445 µg g−1) concentrations of GLP in herbicide KLINIK® (Nufarm, Austria) and bioaugmentation followed by 40 days weathering and a consistent three-stage leaching in a laboratory column experiment. Soil samples were obtained from mineral topsoil (0–10 cm) within former agricultural lands where soil parent material was formed by glacigenic deposits. The total a…

Optimization of Nitrification Process by a Bacterial Consortium in the Submerged Biofiltration System with Ceramic Bead Carrier

Laboratory-scale solid phase submerged system was developed to study the process of ammonium biodegradation. Ceramic beads were found to be an appropriate carrier material for the attachment of thePNN bacterial consortium (Pseudomonas sp., Nitrosomonas sp., Nitrobacter sp.) exhibiting nitrification/denitrification activity. This consortium was previously isolated from a biological activated sludge process at a fish factory wastewater treatment plant. Three organic amendments - molasses, humic acid extract, and malt extract - were used for the ceramic bead pretreatment. Molasses significantly enhanced (p<0.05) the process of bacteria attachment onto the ceramic carrier and further ammonium r…

Composite clay sorbents for immobilisation of biomolecules and cells

Influence of Bacteria &lt;i&gt;Pseudomonas fluorescens&lt;/i&gt; on the Properties of Latvian Clay

Wide varieties of bacteria are able to produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) which are mostly composed of polysaccharides. It is suggested that EPS substances can alter certain clay soil properties due to their ability to adhere to the surface of mineral particles. Most common used microorganisms by the researchers for this purpose are of either genus Bacillus or genus Pseudomonas. In this study growth of bacteria P. fluorescens AM PS11 culture in locally obtained clay is studied for the purpose of establishing their influence on rheological properties of clay. An attempt to evaluate it has been made using FT-IR and XRD. Change in plasticity of clay using Atterberg limits method …

Distinguishing the roles of carrier and biofilm in filtering media for the removal of pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater

Abstract Pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) represent a large group of micropollutants in wastewaters (WW) worldwide. Many PCs are resistant to conventional WW treatment. Moreover, for some PCs the removal process is reversible. The aim of this study was to test three newly developed ceramic carriers for biofilm formation and PCs removal. The testing of untreated WW samples by liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap mass spectrometry allowed to detect the occurrence of 18 PCs in the range from 26 ng/L to 20,688 ng/L, with the highest concentrations found for caffeine. Besides, among PCs with concentrations above 1,000 ng/L, ibuprofen (19,234 ng/L), naproxen (1,405 ng/L), xylazine (1,366 ng/L)…