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EPS (extracellular polymeric substance) production is a self-protection mechanism by which microorganisms slow or eliminate adverse effects in unfavorable environments. In this study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes faecalis were selected to explore changes in EPS components, especially protein components, under stress caused by different concentrations of Cd(II). The results showed that the protein content in EPS was the highest. The two strains achieved maximum EPS production levels of 109.17 and 214.96 mg/g VSS at Cd(II) stress concentrations of 20 and 50 mg/L, which were increased by 52.07% and 409.69% compared with the levels exhibited before stress, respectively. The protein content correlated very well with data from adsorption experiments. Furthermore, FTIR, 3D-EEM, and XPS results illustrated that after Cd(II) stress, C-N, C=O/-COOH, and R-NO

The aim of this study was to determine the adequacy and safety of needle aspiration (NA) as an alternative to open surgical drainage for oral-maxillofacial abscesses. Fifteen consecutive patients who were diagnosed with oral-maxillofacial abscesses via contrast-enhanced CT from January 2020 to December 2020 were included. All patients were on antibiotics and treated with NA under local anaesthesia using a 20 mL syringe. Data collection included patient characteristics, signs and symptoms, physical examinations, laboratory tests, imaging findings, and outcomes. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify the infectious microorganisms from the abscess samples. The study included 15 patients with oral-maxillofacial abscesses. None of our 15 patients required surgical incision and drainage, although repeat aspiration was required. However, after the first NA, the pain was reportedly extremely relieved for all patients. The average duration of antibiotic treatment was 9.20 ± 5.15 days (range 4–23 days). The abscess-affected spaces mainly included the masseter space and submandibular space. Odontogenic infection was the most common aetiology in 15 patients (10/15). The average volume of the abscesses on CT was 5866.26 ± 3627.18 mm3. The main pathogens identified in this study were Prevotella oris (5/15), Peptostreptococcus stomatis (4/15) and Porphyromonas endodontalis (2/15). According to the results of our study, the data support the use of NA as an effective, minimally invasive treatment modality for oral-maxillofacial abscesses. Surgeons should familiarise themselves with this technique, as it can easily be performed in the clinic using local anaesthesia, culture samples may be obtained, and airway obstruction and pain may be relieved.

Three different Cd(II) compounds were used to regulate Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes faecalis EPS (extracellular polymeric substances). The purpose of this study was to improve the content of EPS protein and the adsorption capacity of Cd(II) by different Cd(II) compounds. The results showed that Cd(NO3)2 had the best stress/induction effect on the two strains. Under the best stress/induction, the protein in EPS of the two strains increased most obviously, and the adsorption capacity of Cd(II) was increased by more than 40%. Under these conditions, the kinetics of the adsorption process of Cd(II) by Cd(NO3)2-EPSA. F (EPS produced by Alcaligenes faecalis under Cd(NO3)2 stress) could be well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model, and the theoretical maximum adsorption amount of 1111.11 mg/g EPS could be obtained. The results of 3D-EEM, FTIR and XPS indicated that proteins, especially C O, C N and N H in proteins, played a major role in the removal of Cd(II) by Cd(NO3)2-EPSA. F. The results of this study show that the addition of Cd(NO3)2 can effectively regulate the content of chemical components, especially the content of protein, and thus greatly improve the removal efficiency of heavy metals, which shows great application prospects in the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely exploited to improve anodic performance, but information is needed on their long-term stability for improvement. Herein, we prepared a novel CNTs-modified graphite felt (CNTs-GF) by a simple and scalable process and evaluated its long-term performance using anaerobic sludge as inoculum. the MFC with CNTs-GF yielded a sustained enhancement of power output, increasing from 1.93 ± 0.09 W m−2 after 1 month to 2.10 ± 0.05 W m−2 after 3 months and reaching 2.00 ± 0.10 W m−2 after 13 month, indicating the enhancement in electricity generation by the CNTs was not declined over one year. However, the bare GF showed a declining tendency of performance during 13 months. The long-term enhancement can be explained by the facts that the CNTs-GF was beneficial to electrochemically active biofilms (EABs) growth and interacted better with EABs and increased the extracellular electron transfer. Community analysis showed an increase in Geobacter in response to CNTs modification. These results demonstrated that CNTs modification could sustain a superior long-term enhancement in MFC performance.

In this study, novel geopolymers based on solid wastes (coal gangue and red mud) were used in the adsorption of heavy metals (Pb2+ and Cu2+) from solution. The correlations between the composition and quantity of the geopolymer gels and heavy metal adsorption were investigated under various conditions using hydrochloric acid dissolution and spectroscopic techniques. The results showed that the geopolymer gel positively correlated with the Pb2+ and Cu2+ adsorption capacities in the absence of external silica and aluminum. Moreover, external silica and aluminum sources promoted Al2O3 and SiO2 dissolution in the raw materials, which increased and decreased the specific surface areas, respectively. All of the tested geopolymers exhibited Pb2+ and Cu2+ adsorption based on the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, with adsorption maxima of 137.7 and 90 mg g−1, respectively. This research first determined the correlation between the geopolymer gel and its heavy metal adsorption performance, and demonstrated industrial waste-based geopolymers could be effectively applied for the removal of heavy metal which can help reduce the burden of waste management and provide new insights about the resource recovery of solid wastes.

A novel anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate/MnOx-doped polypyrrole film (AQDS/Mn/PPy) electrode was prepared by one-step electropolymerization method and was used to improve performance of a reversible photo-bioelectrochemical cell (RPBEC). The RPBEC was operated in polarity reversion depended on dark/light reaction of alga Chlorella vulgaris by which sequential decolorization of azo dye and mineralization of decolorization products coupled with bioelectricity generation can be achieved. The results showed that formation of uniform AQDS/Mn/PPy film significantly enhanced electroactive surface area and electrocatalytic activity of carbon electrode. The RPBEC with AQDS/Mn/PPy electrodes demonstrated 77% increases in maximum power and 73% increases in Congo red decolorization rate before polarity reversion, and 198% increases in maximum power and 138% increases in decolorization products mineralization rate after polarity reversion, respectively, compared to the RPBEC with bare electrode. This was resulted from simultaneous dynamics improvement in half-reaction rate of anode and photo-biocathode due to enhanced electron transfer and algal-bacterial biofilm formation.

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is a bulky waste byproduct of commercial mushroom production, which can cause serious environmental problems and, therefore, poses a significant barrier to future expansion of the mushroom industry. In the present study, we explored the use of SMS as a biochar to improve the quality of bio-fertilizer. Specifically, we performed a series of experiments using composting reactors to investigate the effects of SMS biochar on the physio-chemical properties of bio-fertilizer. Biochar was derived from dry SMS pyrolysed at 500°C and mixed with pig manure and rice straw. Results from this study demonstrate that the addition of biochar significantly reduced electrical conductivity and loss of organic matter in compost material. Nutrient analysis revealed that the SMS-derived biochar is rich in fertilizer nutrients such as P, K, Na, and N. All of these findings suggest that SMS biochar could be an excellent medium for compost.

Biocathode microbial fuel cell performances with respect to azo dye decolorization and electricity generation were examined using two anodic inoculums, textile dyeing sludge (MFC-I) and municipal sludge (MFC-M), to determine the potential performance regulation of the MFC via the selection of anodic inoculum. The results showed that the MFC-I exhibited excellent performance in Congo red decolorization, whereas the MFC-M performed well in electricity generation. The MFC-I achieved fast Congo red decolorization with a first-order rate constant k = 0.0501, which was 34% higher than that obtained by MFC-M (k = 0.0375). The MFC-M exhibited 3.22 times higher power output (29 mW/m2 vs. 9 mW/m2) and 38.0% lower anode impedance (749 Ω vs. 1208 Ω) compared to MFC-I. The functional stains isolated from the anodic biofilm of MFC-I were identified as Pseudomonas sp. and Aquamicrobium sp., while isolates from MFC-M belonged to Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp. Four selected isolates were proved to be exoelectrogens and bacterial decolorizer simultaneously but exhibited different bioelectrocatalytic activities and dye decolorizing capabilities, which could partly explain the performance difference between the two MFCs with different anodic inocula.

A novel series of adamantane-based gemini quaternary ammonium salts (GQASs) named as m-Ad-m (bromides, alkyl chain length, m = 12, 14, 16) are synthesized from 1,3-adamantanedicarboxylic acid. Their chemical structures are confirmed by 1H NMR, FT-IR and ESI-MS. The surface activities in aqueous solutions of m-Ad-m are evaluated by surface tension. Unlike conventional GQASs with a flexible spacer, m-Ad-m possessing a rigid adamantane spacer show lower surface tension (γCMC) values as compared to conventional GQASs bearing the same alkyl chains. The thermodynamic properties of m-Ad-m are examined by electrical conductivity measurements at different temperatures, including molecular interaction parameters (β), standard Gibbs free energy (ΔG0m), enthalpy (ΔH0m) and entropy (ΔS0m), which show that the micellization of m-Ad-m is entropy-driven. TEM study exhibits that the aggregate morphologies of m-Ad-m change from micelles and spheroidal vesicles of varying size to network aggregates and then to globular vesicles with the increase in m-Ad-m concentration. Furthermore, the antimicrobial efficacy of m-Ad-m against both Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, P. aeruginosa and V. parahaemolyticus) is systematically studied by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) methods, which indicates the favorable antibacterial activity of 12-Ad-12 against the studied bacteria.

In order to develop surfactant-enhanced remediation for nitrogen heterocyclic compounds (NHCs) (aniline, indole, and quinolone), the solubilization properties of micellar solutions of five surfactants, namely sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), rhamnolipid (RL), polysorbate (Tween 80), sorbitan monolaurate (Span 20), and iso-octyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanol (TX-100) were investigated in this work. The solubilization capacities were quantified using critical micelle concentration (CMC) as well as thermodynamic and kinetic experiments. Besides, nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectra were used to infer the locus of NHCs solubilized by SDS and TX-100. The results from the properties of five surfactants indicated that CMC was affected by temperature, while the micellization was spontaneous and could be both endothermic and exothermic based on the type of surfactant and temperature. Furthermore, the difference in compensation temperature was caused by different solubilization mechanism for various surfactants. The solubilization results showed that the solubilization of NHCs in the surfactant solutions followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Meanwhile, the change in proton’s chemical shift depended on the structure of NHCs and the solubilization ability of surfactants. Finally, the orthogonal experiment (L16(43)) was elementarily designed to optimize the solubilization conditions of indole and the results showed that RL could be a better choice for solubilizing NHCs.

Aromatic amines (AAs), which are components of synthetic dyes, are recalcitrant to the wastewater treatment process and can accumulate in sludge produced by textile-dyeing, which may pose a threat to the environment. A comprehensive investigation of 10 textile-dyeing plants was undertaken in Guangdong Province in China. The contents and component distributions of AAs were evaluated in this study, and a risk assessment was performed. The total concentrations of 14 AAs (Σ14 AAs) varied from 11 μg g −1 dw to 82.5 μg g −1 dw, with a mean value of 25 μg g −1 dw. The component distributions of AAs were characterized by monocyclic anilines, of which 2-methoxy-5-methylaniline and 5-nitro-o-toluidine were the most dominant components. The risk quotient (RQ) value was used to numerically evaluate the ecological risk of 14 AAs in the environment. The result showed that the 14 AAs contents in textile-dyeing sludge may pose a high risk to the soil ecosystem after being discarded on soil or in a landfill.

Heavy metals play an important role in the conductivity of solution, power generation and activity of microorganisms in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). However, effect of heavy metal on the process of exoelectrogenesis metabolism and extracellular electron transfer of electrochemically active biofilms (EABs) was poorly understood. Herein, we investigated the impact of Cu2+ at gradually increasing concentration on the morphological and electrochemical performance and bacterial communities of anodic biofilms in mixed-culture BESs. The voltage output decreased continuously and dropped to zero at 10 mg L−1, which was attributed to the toxic inhibition that cased anodic biofilm damage and decreased secretion of outer membrane cytochromes. When stopping the introduction of Cu2+ to anodic chamber, the maximum voltage production recovered 75.1% of the voltage produced from BES and coulombic efficiency was higher but acetate removal rate was lower than that before Cu2+ addition, demonstrating the recovery capability of EABs was higher compared to nonelectroactive bacteria. Moreover, SEM-EDS and XPS suggested that most of Cu2+ was adsorbed by the anode electrode and reduced by EABs on anode. Compared to the open-circuit BES, the flow of electrons through a circuit could improve the reduction of copper. Community analysis showed a decrease in Geobacter accompanied by an increase in Stenotrophomonas in response to Cu2+ shock in anodic chamber.

A strict aerobic Acinetobacter baumannii YNWH 226, isolated from an activated sludge reactor treating textile wastewater, was able to grow on Congo red as the sole carbon source under aerobic conditions. The decolorization and TOC reduction efficiency were 99.1 and 93.72%, respectively. The effects of the Congo red concentration were studied. The environmental factors (i.e., pH, temperature and agitation speed) on the biodegradation of Congo red in aqueous phase were studied and evaluated using response surface methodology. The results indicated that when the Congo red concentration was 100 mg/L, the optimal decolorization conditions were as follows: 37°C, pH 7.0 and 180 rpm. The single A. baumannii YNWH 226 was able to form aromatic amines by reductive breakage of the azo bond and then oxidize them into non-toxic metabolites.

A novel anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate/MnO

The effects of micro-electrolysis treatment on textile dyeing sludge dewatering and its mechanisms were investigated in this study. Capillary suction time (CST) and settling velocity (SV) were used to evaluate sludge dewaterability. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) concentration and sludge disintegration degree (DDSCOD) were determined to explain the observed changes in sludge dewaterability. The results demonstrated that the micro-electrolysis could significantly improve sludge dewaterability by disrupting the sludge floc structure. The optimal conditions of sludge dewatering were the reaction time of 20 min, initial pH of 2.5, Fe/C mass ratio of 1/1, and the iron powder dosage of 2.50 g/L, which achieved good CST (from 34.1 to 27.8 s) and SV (from 75 to 60%) reduction efficiency. In addition, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that the treated sludge floc clusters are broken up and that the dispersion degree is better than that of a raw sludge sample. The optimal EPS concentration and DDSCOD to obtain maximum sludge dewaterability was 43-46 mg/L and 4.2-4.9%, respectively. The destruction of EPS was one of the primary reasons for the improvement of sludge dewaterability during micro-electrolysis treatment.

The effect of potassium ferrate/ultrasonic (K2FeO4/US) treatment on the physicochemical features of textile dyeing sludge was studied. The soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), sludge volume index (SVI), sludge viscosity, capillary suction time (CST) and particle size were measured to understand the observed changes in the sludge physicochemical features. The results showed that the combined K2FeO4/US treatment presented great advantages for disrupting the sludge floc structure over K2FeO4 or ultrasonic treatments alone. The optimal parameters of sludge disintegration were found to be a K2FeO4 treatment time of 60 min, a K2FeO4 dosage of 0.5936 g/g SS, an ultrasonic time of 15 min and an ultrasonic intensity of 0.72 W/mL. The initial median diameter of the sludge particles was 15.24 μm, and this value decreased by 35.89%. The CST was initially 59.6 s and increased by 231%, whereas the SVI was 97.78 mL/g and decreased by 25.89%. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicated that the sludge surface was irregular and loose with a large amount of channels or voids during K2FeO4/US treatment. K2FeO4/US treatment synergistically enhanced the sludge solubilization and reached 668.67 mg/L SCOD, which is 31.81% greater than the additive value obtained with K2FeO4 treatment alone (215.95 mg/L) or with ultrasonic treatment alone (240 mg/L).

A solar-heated anaerobic reactor system was applied to decompose livestock wastewater, in which cattle manure and chopped straw were mixed (CODCr 15,000~25,000 mgl-1), the commercial microorganisms were added to ambient acidification (about 32°C) and the acclimated sludge was inoculated. Then, the experiments were carried out on wastewater anaerobic degradation and biogas production at 40~42°C, as fed every 10 days till stable running. The results showed that NH3-N and PO4 3- of the biogas slurry were 441 mgl-1 and 65.0 mgl-1 on the 35th day, respectively. The concentration of K was up to 350 mgl-1 in the biogas slurry, rather higher than that of Mg and Fe, which indicated that the available K could contribute more in the agricultural irrigation. Total amino acids were up to 23.7 mgl-1 after anaerobic digestion, in which Lys, Thr, Ala and Arg were prominent in the biogas slurry. These amino acids could be beneficial to seed soaking, feed adding and apply as foliar fertilizer. The major volatile organic compounds were detected in the biogas slurry, including toluene, m-cresol (up to 0.036% in the process of ambient acidification) and triethylsilane, which could be reduced to scarcely influence on agricultural application after anaerobic digestion.

The occurrence and removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, styrene and isopropylbenzene (BTEXSI) from 6 textile dyeing wastewater treatment plants (TDWTPs) were investigated in this study. The practical capacities of the 6 representative plants, which used the activated sludge process, ranged from 1200 to 26000 m(3) d(-1). The results indicated that BTEXSI were ubiquitous in the raw textile dyeing wastewater, except for isopropylbenzene, and that toluene and xylenes were predominant in raw wastewaters (RWs). TDWTP-E was selected to study the residual BTEXSI at different stages. The total BTEXSI reduction on the aerobic process of TDWTP-E accounted for 82.2% of the entire process. The total BTEXSI concentrations from the final effluents (FEs) were observed to be below 1 μg L(-1), except for TDWTP-F (2.12 μg L(-1)). Volatilization and biodegradation rather than sludge sorption contributed significantly to BTEXSI removal in the treatment system. BTEXSI were not found to be the main contaminants in textile dyeing wastewater.

The effects of sulfur compounds on the migration of a semi-volatile heavy metal (cadmium) during sludge incineration were investigated with two methods, i.e., experiments in a tubular furnace reactor and thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. The representative typical sludge with and without the addition of sulfur compounds was incinerated at 850 °C. The partitioning of Cd among the solid phase (bottom ash) and gas phase (fly ash and flue gas) was quantified. The results indicate that sulfur compounds in the elemental form and a reduced state could stabilize Cd in the form of CdS, aluminosilicate minerals, and polymetallic sulfides, whereas sulfur in the oxidized forms slightly increases Cd volatilization during incineration. For Cd solidification points, the inhibition effect on the volatilization of Cd is as follows: S > Na2SO4 > Na2S. Chemical equilibrium calculations indicate that sulfur binds with Cd and alters Cd speciation at low temperatures (

As components of synthetic dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are present as contaminants in textile dyeing sludge due to the recalcitrance in wastewater treatment process, which may pose a threat to environment in the process of sludge disposal. In order to evaluate PAHs in textile dyeing sludge, comprehensive investigation comprising 10 textile dyeing plants was undertaken. Levels, composition profiles and risk assessment of 16 EPA-priority PAHs were analyzed in this study. The total concentrations of 16 PAHs (∑16 PAHs) varied from 1463 ± 177 ng g(-1) to 16,714 ± 1,507 ng g(-1) with a mean value of 6386 ng g(-1). The composition profiles of PAHs were characterized by 3- and 4-ring PAHs, among which phenanthrene, anthracene and fluoranthene were the most dominant components. The mean benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaPeq) concentration of ∑16 PAHs in textile dyeing sludge was 423 ng g(-1), which was 2-3 times higher than concentrations reported for urban soil. According to ecological risk assessment, the levels of PAHs in the textile dyeing sludge may cause a significant risk to soil ecosystem after landfill or dumping on soil.

Acoustic doppler current profiler sonar system was applied to explore the depth of an urban river in China. In the simulating function for the river bottom surface, the rectangle region least square method was validated with detected values of the discrete points by Matlab programs. The river’s bottom surface was drawn with Matlab inserted languages, the sludge volume was calculated with integral calculation and the dredging workload was also evaluated.