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An approach based on wastewater epidemiology can be used to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic by assessing the gene copy number of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. In the present study, we statistically analyzed such data from six inlets of three wastewater treatment plants, covering six regions of Stockholm, Sweden, collected over an approximate year period (week 16 of 2020 to week 22 of 2021). SARS-CoV-2 gene copy number and population-based biomarker PMMoV, as well as clinical data, such as the number of positive cases, intensive care unit numbers, and deaths, were analyzed statistically using correlations and principal component analysis (PCA). Despite the population differences, the PCA for the Stockholm dataset showed that the case numbers are well grouped across wastewater treatment plants. Furthermore, when considering the data from the whole of Stockholm, the wastewater characteristics (flow rate m3/day, PMMoV Ct value, and SARS-CoV gene copy number) were significantly correlated with the public health agency’s report of SARS-CoV-2 infection rates (0.419 to 0.95, p-value < 0.01). However, while the PCA results showed that the case numbers for each wastewater treatment plant were well grouped concerning PC1 (37.3%) and PC2 (19.67%), the results from the correlation analysis for the individual wastewater treatment plants showed varied trends. SARS-CoV-2 fluctuations can be accurately predicted through statistical analyses of wastewater-based epidemiology, as demonstrated in this study.

Microalgae-based technologies can be used for the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) from different types of wastewater. However, the effect of wastewater characteristics on the removal is still poorly understood. In this study, the removal of sixteen OMPs by Chlorella sorokiniana, cultivated in three types of wastewater (anaerobically digested black water (AnBW), municipal wastewater (MW), and secondary clarified effluent (SCE)), were assessed. During batch operational mode, eleven OMPs were removed from AnBW and MW. When switching from batch to continuous mode (0.8 d HRT), the removal of most OMPs from AnBW and MW decreased, suggesting that a longer retention time enhances the removal of some OMPs. Most OMPs were not removed from SCE since poor nutrient availability limited C. sorokiniana growth. Further correlation analyses between wastewater characteristics, biomass and OMPs removal indicated that the wastewater soluble COD and biomass concentration predominantly affected the removal of OMPs. Lastly, carbon uptake rate had a higher effect on the removal of OMPs than nitrogen and phosphate uptake rate. These data will give an insight on the implementation of microalgae-based technologies for the removal of OMPs in wastewater with varying strengths and nutrient availability.

Shifting the concept of municipal wastewater treatment to recover resources is one of the key factors contributing to a sustainable society. A novel concept based on research is proposed to recover four main bio-based products from municipal wastewater while reaching the necessary regulatory standards. The main resource recovery units of the proposed system include upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor for the recovery of biogas (as product 1) from mainstream municipal wastewater after primary sedimentation. Sewage sludge is co-fermented with external organic waste such as food waste for volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production as precursors for other bio-based production. A portion of the VFA mixture (product 2) is used as carbon sources in the denitrification step of the nitrification/denitrification process as an alternative for nitrogen removal. The other alternative for nitrogen removal is the partial nitrification/anammx process. The VFA mixture is separated with nanofiltration/reverse osmosis membrane technology into low-carbon VFAs and high-carbon VFAs. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (as product 3) is produced from the low-carbon VFAs. Using membrane contactor-based processes and ion-exchange techniques, high-carbon VFAs are recovered as one-type VFA (pure VFA) and in ester forms (product 4). The nutrient-rich fermented and dewatered biosolid is applied as a fertilizer. The proposed units are seen as individual resource recovery systems as well as a concept of an integrated system. A qualitative environmental assessment of the proposed resource recovery units confirms the positive environmental impacts of the proposed system.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can be used to track the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a population. This study presents the learning outcomes from over two-year long monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in Stockholm, Sweden. The three main wastewater treatment plants in Stockholm, with a total of six inlets, were monitored from April 2020 until June 2022 (in total 600 samples). This spans five major SARS-CoV-2 waves, where WBE data provided early warning signals for each wave. Further, the measured SARS-CoV-2 content in the wastewater correlated significantly with the level of positive COVID-19 tests (r = 0.86; p0.0001) measured by widespread testing of the population. Moreover, as a proof-of-concept, six SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern were monitored using hpPCR assay, demonstrating that variants can be traced through wastewater monitoring. During this long-term surveillance, two sampling protocols, two RNA concentration/extraction methods, two calculation approaches, and normalization to the RNA virus Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) were evaluated. In addition, a study of storage conditions was performed, demonstrating that the decay of viral RNA was significantly reduced upon the addition of glycerol to the wastewater before storage at -80 °C. Our results provide valuable information that can facilitate the incorporation of WBE as a prediction tool for possible future outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 and preparations for future pandemics.

Focusing on Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s 2010 play Aftermath to conceptualize verbatim theatre more broadly, this essay explores problems of mediation among refugees, which mostly stem from their linguistic exchanges. While scholarship on verbatim theatre about refugees has tended to analyze encounters between refugees and dramatists (and through the dramatists, audiences), I demonstrate that power relations inherent in the language of hospitality can also be observed between refugees belonging to the same nation. I turn to Derrida’s philosophy of hospitality and gift-giving to provide a theoretical framework for my inquiry. Especially when some refugees operate as mediators or translators who collaborate with dramatists, the reactions and opinions of other refugees can disclose the frictions among them and can foreground historical and cultural specificity within broader concerns about intercultural understanding. By challenging homogeneous depictions of refugees, this account offers an alternative to binary approaches to verbatim theatre.

Volatile fatty acids, intermediate products of anaerobic digestion, are one of the most promising biobased products. In this study, the effects of acidic (pH 5), neutral (without pH adjustment) and alkali (pH 10) pH on production efficiency and composition of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and bacterial community profile were analyzed. The anaerobic sequencing batch reactors were fed cheese production wastewater as substrate and inoculated by anaerobic granular seed sludge. The results showed that acidic pH improved VFA production yield (0.92 at pH 5; 0.42 at pH 10 and 0.21 gCOD/gVS at neutral pH). Furthermore, propionic acid was dominant under both pH 10 (64 ± 20%) and neutral pH (72 ± 8%), whereas, acetic acid (23 ± 20%4), propionic acid (22 ± 3%), butyric acid (21 ± 4%) and valeric acid (15 ± 8%) were almost equally distributed under pH 5. Adaptation of bacterial community to different pH conditions might steer the acid profile: Bacteroidetes (50.07 ± 2%) under pH 10, Proteobacteria (40.74 ± 7%) under neutral pH and Firmicutes (47.64 ± 9%) under pH 5 were the most dominant phylum, respectively. Results indicated pH plays a significant role in VFA production, acid composition, and bacterial community structure. However, in order to gain a concrete understanding effects of pH, characterization of intracellular and extracellular metabolites with dynamics of the microbial community is required.

Focusing on Sivas 93 (2008), a Turkish documentary play by Genco Erkal, this paper is going to explore the construction of hospitality with victimized individuals and communities, especially those who are dead and absent, through commemoration in documentary theatre. The manifestation of hospitality on stage, in which ‘the host / the sovereign’ turns into the ‘hostage’ of ‘the guest / the foreign / the deviant’ as Derrida elucidates in Of Hospitality, contributes to the development of alternative responses to the mainstream media and its impact on collective memories. In this regard, while the reinterpretation of collective memories is a fundamental function of documentary theatre, my goal is to explore how Sivas 93 as a documentary play develops its own methods to revisit the past. Commemorating the absent and victimized people through performance, the play not only refreshes the collective memory but also underlines the society’s ethical responsibility towards those who have been symbolically displaced from home.

Teknolojilerin son yıllarda hızla gelişmesi ile birlikte şirketlere yapılan siber saldırılarda artışlar yaşanmaktadır. Bu saldırılardan en önemlilerinden birisi SQL enjeksiyon saldırılarıdır. Şirketlerin ve kurumların en önemli verilerinin tutulduğu yerler veri tabanlarındadır. Veri tabanlarında tutulan veri çeşidi ve miktarı her geçen gün artmaktadır. Çeşitli siber saldırı yöntemlerle savunmasız veri tabanlarına sızmak mümkündür. Gerekli önlemler alınmazsa özellikle de şirketlerin kendi bünyesinden bu sistemlere sızmak çok zor değildir. Profesyonel anlamda hizmet sağlayan web uygulamalarının birçoğu SQL altyapısını kullanan veri tabanı sorgu yapılarını tercih etmektedir. Birçok web tabanlı program kullanıcı isteğine bağlı SQL altyapısı kullanarak sonuçları döndürmektedir ve geliştiricisine bağlı olarak farklı tasarımlarda kullanıcıların hizmetine sunulmaktadır. Ancak web tabanlı uygulamalarda saldırgan tarafından sisteme girilen bazı zararlı cümleciklerle SQL sorgularına enjeksiyon işlemi yapılarak sistem manipüle edilebilmektedir. Sızma işlemi sonrası elde edilen gizli bilgiler kötüye kullanılabilir ve hatta kayıtlar silinip uygulamaya ya da sunucuya zarar verilebilir. Bunlara ilave olarak şirketlerin ve kurumların verilerinin çalınması ile büyük ekonomik zararlara uğramaları kaçınılmazdır. Bu çalışmada SQL enjeksiyon açığı bulunan sistemlerin tespitine dair sızma yöntemleri ve alınabilecek güvenlik önlemleri sunulmuştur. ASP.NET platformu MSSQL tabanlı SQL enjeksiyon açığı bulunan bir web projesi üzerinde saldırı örneği ve analizi gösterilmiştir. Ayrıca web tabanlı uygulamalarda alınabilecek güvenlik önlemleri ve çözüm önerileri sunulmuştur., With the rapid development of technologies in recent years, there has been an increase in cyber attacks on companies. One of the most important of these attacks is SQL injection attacks. The places where the most important data of companies and institutions are kept are in databases. The type and amount of data kept in databases are increasing day by day. It is possible to infiltrate vulnerable databases through various cyber-attack methods. If the necessary precautions are not taken, it is not very difficult to infiltrate these systems, especially from the companies themselves. Many of the web applications that provide professional services prefer database query structures that use SQL infrastructure. Many web-based programs return results by using SQL infrastructure upon user request and are offered to users in different designs depending on the developer. However, in web-based applications, the system can be manipulated by injecting SQL queries with some harmful phrases entered into the system by the attacker. Confidential information obtained after the infiltration process may be misused, and even the records may be deleted, and the application or server may be damaged. In addition to these, it is inevitable for companies and institutions to suffer great economic losses by stealing their data. In this study, infiltration methods for the detection of systems with SQL injection vulnerability and security measures that can be taken are presented. An attack example and analysis are demonstrated on an ASP.NET platform MSSQL-based web project with SQL injection vulnerability. In addition, security measures and solutions that can be taken in web-based applications are presented.

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) has great potential for closed-loop production in dairy industries via resource recovery from waste-streams. In the current study, the transition of VFA production from batch reactor to anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) by using cheese industry wastewater under alkali pH was evaluated with respect to seed sludge structure, microbial diversity and reactor type. The transition from the batch reactor to the ASBR demonstrated that the maximum VFA production yield (g COD/g SCOD) was comparable in two reactors (batch: 0.97; ASBR: 0.94), whereas, the dominant acid type was different (batch: 49% lactic acid; ASBR: 80% propionic acid). There was a significant correlation between the productions of butyric acid with Gracilibacteraceae and Desulfovibrionaceae; propionic acid with Desulfovibrionaceae and Synergistaceae; lactic acid with Pseudomonadaceae and Rhodocyclaceae. The high VFA production efficiency can be achieved by long term reactor operation, which enables the shift from industrial waste-streams to biorefineries.

Our modern cities are resource sinks designed on the current linear economic model which recovers very little of the original input. As the current model is not sustainable, a viable solution is to recover and reuse parts of the input. In this context, resource recovery using nature-based solutions (NBS) is gaining popularity worldwide. In this specific review, we focus on NBS as technologies that bring nature into cities and those that are derived from nature, using (micro)organisms as principal agents, provided they enable resource recovery. The findings presented in this work are based on an extensive literature review, as well as on original results of recent innovation projects across Europe. The case studies were collected by participants of the COST Action Circular City, which includes a portfolio of more than 92 projects. The present review article focuses on urban wastewater, industrial wastewater, municipal solid waste and gaseous effluents, the recoverable products (e.g., nutrients, nanoparticles, energy), as well as the implications of source-separation and circularity by design. The analysis also includes assessment of the maturity of different technologies (technology readiness level) and the barriers that need to be overcome to accelerate the transition to resilient, self-sustainable cities of the future.

This study aimed to develop a novel strategy for tailor-made volatile fatty acid (VFA) composition. For this purpose, the mixed microbial culture was bioaugmented by Propionibacterium acidipropionici. Anaerobic sequencing batch reactors were operated with cheese wastewater under alkali pH. While the maximum propionic acid production almost four times increased (3779 ± 201 mgCODeq propionic acid/L in the bioaugmented reactor and 942 ± 172 mgCODeq propionic acid/L in the control reactor), there was no significant difference in VFA composition. The gene copy number of P.acidipropionici increased 20 times after the bioaugmentation. Furthermore, the gene copy number of P.acidipropionici was positively correlated with total VFA and isovaleric acid concentration. The relative abundance of family Flavobacteriaceae increased in the bioaugmented reactor, which might be caused by the syntrophic relation between Flavobacteriaceae and P. acidipropionici. The cycle analysis results showed that the shorter cycle (6h) could ensure the same efficiency.

Bio-based production of materials from waste streams is a pivotal aspect in a circular economy. This study aimed to investigate the influence of inoculum (three different sludge taken from anaerobic digestors), pH (5 & 10) and retention time on production of total volatile fatty acids (VFAs), VFA composition as well as the microbial community during anaerobic digestion of food waste. The highest VFA production was ∼22000 ± 1036 mg COD/L and 12927 ± 1029 mg COD/L on day 15 using the inoculum acclimated to food waste at pH 10 and pH 5, respectively. Acetic acid was the dominant VFA in the batch reactors with initial alkaline conditions, whereas both propionic and acetic acids were the dominant products in the acidic condition. Firmicutes, Chloroflexi and Bacteroidetes had the highest relative abundance in the reactors. VFA generation was positively correlated to the relative abundance of Firmicutes.

Volatile fatty acids (VFA) are one of the most promising sustainable and environmentally friendly bioproduct owing to their wide usage area and high market demand. For this reason, in this study, the evaluation of VFA production from pure and mixed bacterial cultures was aimed. Three different mixed cultures with C. aceticum, C. butyricum and P. acidipropionici as pure cultures were used for inoculation of milk processing wastewater fermentation under pH 10 for 15 days. The mixed culture fermentation had the highest VFA production efficiency whereas the highest amount of acetic, butyric and propionic acid productions were obtained by C. aceticum, C. butyricum and P. acidipropionici, respectively. Also, the mixed cultures demonstrated faster pH regulation and acclimation than the pure cultures tested. Therefore, development of synthetic cultures may offer a useful approach to produce VFA mixtures with one-dominant acid type and with high production efficiency.

Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates is an important field in the biorefinery as bio-alternative to conventional plastics. However, its commercialization is still limited by high production cost. In this study, a process with the potential to reduce the production cost of polyhydroxyalkanoates was proposed. Mixed cultures accumulated polyhydroxyalkanoates using volatile fatty acid-rich effluents from waste streams, without pH and temperature control. In addition, the impact of two types of carbon sources was investigated by analyzing the microbial community as well as the polyhydroxyalkanoate accumulation capacity. Mixed cultures successfully adapted to different substrates, consuming the volatile fatty acids in their totality. The phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes dominated the bacterial community. The highest polyhydroxyalkanoate content was 43.5% w/w, which is comparable to contents reported from mixed cultures using synthetic carbon sources. The biopolymer consisted of (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate 94.8 ± 1.7% w/w and (R)-3-hydroxyvaletare 5.2 ± 1.7% w/w.

Wastewater-based epidemiology offers a cost-effective alternative to testing large populations for SARS-CoV-2 virus, and may potentially be used as an early warning system for SARS-CoV-2 pandemic spread. However, optimal viruses are highly diluted in wastewater, and a validated method to be concentrated for further processing and suitable reference viruses are the main needs to be established for reliable SARS-CoV-2 municipal wastewater detection. For this purpose, we collected wastewater from two European cities during the Covid-19 pandemic and evaluated the sensitivity of RT-qPCR detection of viral RNA after four concentration methods (two variants of ultrafiltration-based method and two adsorption and extraction-based methods). Further, we evaluated one external (Bovine corona virus) and one internal (pepper mild mottle virus) reference virus. We found a consistently higher recovery of spiked virus using the modified ultrafiltration-based method. This method also had a significantly higher efficiency (p-value, Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • Optimized methods for SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater are highly needed. • This study compares different virus concentration method in municipal wastewater for subsequent qPCR detection of viral RNA • Evaluates recovery using spiked and internal reference viruses in municipal wastewater. • A modified ultrafiltration method is found to be the most sensitive for qPCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

The most sustainable and environmentally friendly butyric acid production method is fermentation; however, low production yield and high substrate cost limit the competition with petrol-based production. The study is aimed to enhance butyric acid production via bioaugmentated mixed culture by Clostridium butyricum. Anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (bioaugmented and control) were operated under alkali pH (pH 10) at 35 °C and fed by dairy industry wastewater as substrate. The performance of bioaugmentation was monitored in three stages: before the application, during the application (C. butyricum was injected as %10 of active reactor volume on a daily basis for seven days), after bioaugmentation. The VFA concentration and composition (by GC-FID) with the copy gene number of C. butyricum (by Q-PCR) were monitored in the bioaugmented reactor during the operation. The bioaugmentation of C. butyricum increased butyric acid production (mgCOD L-1) from 260 ± 36 to 2889 ± 180. The total VFA production (mgCOD L-1) was increased from 1434 ± 217 to 4642 ± 1778 in control and bioaugmented reactors, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the gene copies of C. butyricum with butyric, hexanoic, n-heptanoic, valeric acids production. Furthermore, the bioaugmented mixed culture had better performance than pure culture regarding butyric acid production. The cycle analysis showed that the similar butyric acid production efficiency would be obtained in the first 6 h in the bioaugmented reactor, in the first 14 h in the control reactor of the cycle. The study provides a fundamental solution to step forward to achieve next-generation biorefineries by using both monocultures modularity and mixed culture robustness and stability regarding.

Bio-based volatile fatty acid (VFA) production from waste-stream is getting attention due to increasing market demand and wide range usage area as well as its cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach. The aim of this paper is to give a comprehensive review of bio-based VFA production and recovery methods and to give an opinion on future research outlook. Effects of operation conditions including pH, temperature, retention time, type of substrate and mixed microbial cultures on VFA production and composition were reviewed. The recovery methods in terms of gas stripping with absorption, adsorption, solvent extraction, electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and membrane contractor of VFA were evaluated. Furthermore, strategies to enhance bio-based VFA production and recovery from waste streams, specifically, in-line VFA recovery and bioaugmentation, which are currently not used in common practice, are seen as some of the approaches to enhance bio-based VFA production.

Antibiotics are one of the most consumed drugs and have become new emerging pollutants in the environment as antibiotics lead to long-term adverse effects on the ecosystem. They are produced by bac ...

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of operational parameters, inoculum type and bacterial community on mixed culture fermentation to produce one dominant acid type in the mixture of volatile fatty acids (VFA). The study was performed using three different inocula (largesmall granular and slurry) with glucose under various initial pH. The VFA production efficiency reached to 0,97 (gCOD/gSCOD) by granular sludge. VFA composition was changed by initial pH: in neutral conditions, acetic acid; in acidic conditions, acetic and butyric acids, in alkali conditions butyric acid were dominated, respectively. The VFA production was positively affected by the high relative abundance of Firmicutes. On the contrary, a negative correlation was seen between VFA production and the relative abundance of Chloroflexi. The results revealed the physical sludge structure of inoculum was the key factor for production efficiency, whereas, pH was the most important parameter to affect VFA composition.