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Amplified hygiene and precautionary measures are of utmost importance to control the spread of COVID-19 and future infection; however, these changes in practice are projected to trigger a rise in the purchase, utilisation and hence, discharge of many disinfectants into the environment. While alcohol-based, hydrogen peroxide-based, and chlorine-based compounds have been used widely, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) based disinfectants are of significant concern due to their overuse during this pandemic. This review presents the classification of disinfectants and their mechanism of action, focusing on QACs. Most importantly, the occurrence, fate, toxicity and antimicrobial resistance due to QACs are covered in this paper. Here we collated evidence from multiple studies and found rising trends of concern, including an increase in the mass load of QACs at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) by 331% compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as an increases in the concentration of 62% in residential dust, resulting in high concentrations of QACs in human blood and breast milk and suggesting that these could be potential sources of persistent QACs in infants. In addition to increased toxicity to human and aquatic life, increased use of QACs and accelerated use of antibiotics and antimicrobials during the COVID-19 pandemic could multiply the threat to antimicrobial resistance.

As the molecular mechanisms of biological aging become better understood, there is growing interest in identifying interventions that target those mechanisms to promote extended health and longevity. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has served as a premier model organism for identifying genetic and molecular factors that modulate cellular aging and is a powerful system in which to evaluate candidate longevity interventions. Here we screened a collection of natural products and natural product mixtures for effects on the growth rate, mTOR-mediated growth inhibition, and replicative lifespan. No mTOR inhibitory activity was detected, but several of the treatments affected growth rate and lifespan. The strongest lifespan shortening effects were observed for green tea extract and berberine. The most robust lifespan extension was detected from an extract of Pterocarpus marsupium and another mixture containing Pterocarpus marsupium extract. These findings illustrate the utility of the yeast system for longevity intervention discovery and identify Pterocarpus marsupium extract as a potentially fruitful longevity intervention for testing in higher eukaryotes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11357-021-00418-x.

Biofilm carriers, named ‘biocarriers’, are solids that allow the good attachment of microbes during wastewater treatment. Biocarriers also act as redox mediators to speed up the biotransformation of contaminants in industrial effluents, yet it is challenging to choose a biocarrier material that achieves strong biofilm adhesion and high degradation rates. Here we review insoluble polymeric biocarriers with focus on selecting a biocarrier, biofilm growth, metabolic pathways, applications, surface modification, and composites. According to the efficiency to decrease the chemical oxygen demand, conventional and modified composite biocarriers are rated as following: polyvinyl alcohol > polyurethane > polyethylene > polypropylene, and polyvinyl alcohol > waste tire > polyurethane > polyethylene, respectively. We also discuss biological and physical fouling.

The signaling network of the unfolded protein response (UPR) adjusts the protein-folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) according to need. The most conserved UPR sensor, IRE1α, spans the ER membrane and activates through oligomerization. IRE1α oligomers accumulate in dynamic foci. We determined the in situ structure of IRE1α foci by cryogenic correlated light and electron microscopy combined with electron cryo-tomography and complementary immuno–electron microscopy in mammalian cell lines. IRE1α foci localized to a network of narrow anastomosing ER tubes (diameter, ~28 nm) with complex branching. The lumen of the tubes contained protein filaments, which were likely composed of arrays of IRE1α lumenal domain dimers that were arranged in two intertwined, left-handed helices. This specialized ER subdomain may play a role in modulating IRE1α signaling.

Cyanobacterial blooms that produce toxins occur in freshwaters worldwide and yet, the occurrence and distribution patterns of many cyanobacterial secondary metabolites particularly in tropical regions are still not fully understood. Moreover, predictive models for these metabolites by using easily accessible water quality indicators are rarely discussed. In this study, we investigated the co-occurrence and spatiotemporal trends of 18 well-known and less-studied cyanobacterial metabolites (including [D-Asp3] microcystin-LR (DM-LR), [D-Asp3] microcystin-RR (DM-RR), microcystin-HilR (MC-HilR), microcystin-HtyR (MC-HtyR), microcystin-LA (MC-LA), microcystin-LF (MC-LF), microcystin-LR (MC-LR), microcystin-LW (MC-LW), microcystin-LY (MC-LY), microcystin-RR (MC-RR) and microcystin-WR (MC-WR), Anatoxin-a (ATX-a), homoanatoxin-a (HATX-a), cylindrospermospin (CYN), nodularin (NOD), anabaenopeptin A (AptA) and anabaenopeptin B (AptB)) in a tropical freshwater lake often plagued with blooms. Random forest (RF) models were developed to predict MCs and CYN and assess the relative importance of 22 potential predictors that determined their concentrations. The results showed that 11 MCs, CYN, ATX-a, HATX-a, AptA and AptB were found at least once in the studied water body, with MC-RR and CYN being the most frequently occurring, intracellularly and extracellularly. AptA and AptB were detected for the first time in tropical freshwaters at low concentrations. The metabolite profiles were highly variable at both temporal and spatial scales, in line with spatially different phytoplankton assemblages. Notably, MCs decreased with the increase of CYN, possibly revealing interspecific competition of cyanobacteria. The rapid RF prediction models for MCs and CYN were successfully developed using 4 identified drivers (i.e., chlorophyll-a, total carbon, rainfall and ammonium for MCs prediction; and chloride, total carbon, rainfall and nitrate for CYN prediction). The established models can help to better understand the potential relationships between cyanotoxins and environmental variables as well as provide useful information for making policy decisions.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane-resident stress sensor inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) governs the most evolutionarily conserved branch of the unfolded protein response. Upon sensing an accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER lumen, IRE1 activates its cytoplasmic kinase and ribonuclease domains to transduce the signal. IRE1 activity correlates with its assembly into large clusters, yet the biophysical characteristics of IRE1 clusters remain poorly characterized. We combined superresolution microscopy, single-particle tracking, fluorescence recovery, and photoconversion to examine IRE1 clustering quantitatively in living human and mouse cells. Our results revealed that: 1) In contrast to qualitative impressions gleaned from microscopic images, IRE1 clusters comprise only a small fraction (∼5%) of the total IRE1 in the cell; 2) IRE1 clusters have complex topologies that display features of higher-order organization; 3) IRE1 clusters contain a diffusionally constrained core, indicating that they are not phase-separated liquid condensates; 4) IRE1 molecules in clusters remain diffusionally accessible to the free pool of IRE1 molecules in the general ER network; 5) when IRE1 clusters disappear at later time points of ER stress as IRE1 signaling attenuates, their constituent molecules are released back into the ER network and not degraded; 6) IRE1 cluster assembly and disassembly are mechanistically distinct; and 7) IRE1 clusters' mobility is nearly independent of cluster size. Taken together, these insights define the clusters as dynamic assemblies with unique properties. The analysis tools developed for this study will be widely applicable to investigations of clustering behaviors in other signaling proteins.

The wide application of 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS) and its precursors results in their ubiquitous occurrence in the environment. This study investigated the biotransformation of 6:2 FTS using fresh slurries collected from constructed wetland under aerobic and anoxic conditions. Biotransformation rates of 6:2 FTS was extremely slow under both aerobic and anoxic conditions. The analysis of transformation products showed that less than 0.7 mol% of initial concentration of 6:2 FTS was biotransformed under anoxic conditions. Effects of 6:2 FTS on the shifts in microbial community in wetland slurry during aerobic and anoxic transformation were evaluated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Under aerobic conditions, 6:2 FTS altered the microbial community structure, in which Methylocaldum (Gamma-proteobacteria) became the predominant genus after being exposed to 6:2 FTS. This means that Methylocaldum appears to have higher tolerance to 6:2 FTS and seems to be potential 6:2 FTS-degrading bacteria. Under anoxic transformation, only the genus Methanomethylovorans (Euryarchaeota) was increased remarkably in wetland slurry exposed to 6:2 FTS.

We report here, and rationalize, a synergistic effect between a non-noble metal oxide catalyst (CuO) and high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) on glucose oxidation. While CuO and HFUS are able to independently oxidize glucose to gluconic acid, the combination of CuO with HFUS led to a dramatic change of the reaction selectivity, with glucuronic acid being formed as the major product. By means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we show that, under ultrasonic irradiation of water at 550 kHz, the surface lattice oxygen of a CuO catalyst traps H· radicals stemming from the sonolysis of water, making the ring-opening of glucose energetically unfavorable and leaving a high coverage of ·OH radical on the CuO surface, which selectively oxidizes glucose to glucuronic acid. This work also points toward a path to optimize the size of the catalyst particle for an ultrasonic frequency that minimizes the damage to the catalyst, resulting in its successful reuse.

Mutations accumulate within somatic cells and have been proposed to contribute to aging. It is unclear what level of mutation burden may be required to consistently reduce cellular lifespan. Human cancers driven by a mutator phenotype represent an intriguing model to test this hypothesis, since they carry the highest mutation burdens of any human cell. However, it remains technically challenging to measure the replicative lifespan of individual mammalian cells. Here, we modeled the consequences of cancer-related mutator phenotypes on lifespan using yeast defective for mismatch repair (MMR) and/or leading strand (Polε) or lagging strand (Polδ) DNA polymerase proofreading. Only haploid mutator cells with significant lifetime mutation accumulation (MA) exhibited shorter lifespans. Diploid strains, derived by mating haploids of various genotypes, carried variable numbers of fixed mutations and a range of mutator phenotypes. Some diploid strains with fewer than two mutations per megabase displayed a 25% decrease in lifespan, suggesting that moderate numbers of random heterozygous mutations can increase mortality rate. As mutation rates and burdens climbed, lifespan steadily eroded. Strong diploid mutator phenotypes produced a form of genetic anticipation with regard to aging, where the longer a lineage persisted, the shorter lived cells became. Using MA lines, we established a relationship between mutation burden and lifespan, as well as population doubling time. Our observations define a threshold of random mutation burden that consistently decreases cellular longevity in diploid yeast cells. Many human cancers carry comparable mutation burdens, suggesting that while cancers appear immortal, individual cancer cells may suffer diminished lifespan due to accrued mutation burden.

The local rules that control cell shape and movement are not understood. Here, Pipathsouk et al. discover a novel nanoscale organization of a key actin regulator that could explain how cellular protrusions expand and self-straighten and how transcellular holes are repaired., How local interactions of actin regulators yield large-scale organization of cell shape and movement is not well understood. Here we investigate how the WAVE complex organizes sheet-like lamellipodia. Using super-resolution microscopy, we find that the WAVE complex forms actin-independent 230-nm-wide rings that localize to regions of saddle membrane curvature. This pattern of enrichment could explain several emergent cell behaviors, such as expanding and self-straightening lamellipodia and the ability of endothelial cells to recognize and seal transcellular holes. The WAVE complex recruits IRSp53 to sites of saddle curvature but does not depend on IRSp53 for its own localization. Although the WAVE complex stimulates actin nucleation via the Arp2/3 complex, sheet-like protrusions are still observed in ARP2-null, but not WAVE complex-null, cells. Therefore, the WAVE complex has additional roles in cell morphogenesis beyond Arp2/3 complex activation. Our work defines organizing principles of the WAVE complex lamellipodial template and suggests how feedback between cell shape and actin regulators instructs cell morphogenesis.

Pinpointing environmental antibiotic resistance (AR) hot spots in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) is hindered by a lack of available and comparable AR monitoring data relevant to such settings. Addressing this problem, we performed a comprehensive spatial and seasonal assessment of water quality and AR conditions in a Malaysian river catchment to identify potential "simple" surrogates that mirror elevated AR. We screened for resistant coliforms, 22 antibiotics, 287 AR genes and integrons, and routine water quality parameters, covering absolute concentrations and mass loadings. To understand relationships, we introduced standardized "effect sizes" (Cohen's D) for AR monitoring to improve comparability of field studies. Overall, water quality generally declined and environmental AR levels increased as one moved down the catchment without major seasonal variations, except total antibiotic concentrations that were higher in the dry season (Cohen's D > 0.8, P < 0.05). Among simple surrogates, dissolved oxygen (DO) most strongly correlated (inversely) with total AR gene concentrations (Spearman's ρ 0.81, P < 0.05). We suspect this results from minimally treated sewage inputs, which also contain AR bacteria and genes, depleting DO in the most impacted reaches. Thus, although DO is not a measure of AR, lower DO levels reflect wastewater inputs, flagging possible AR hot spots. DO measurement is inexpensive, already monitored in many catchments, and exists in many numerical water quality models (e.g., oxygen sag curves). Therefore, we propose combining DO data and prospective modeling to guide local interventions, especially in LMIC rivers with limited data.

The signaling network of the unfolded protein response (UPR) adjusts the protein folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) according to need. The most conserved UPR sensor, IRE1α, spans the ER membrane and activates through oligomerization. IRE1α oligomers accumulate in dynamic foci. We determined the in-situ structure of IRE1α foci by cryogenic correlated light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM), combined with electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET) and complementary immuno-electron microscopy. IRE1α oligomers localize to a network of narrow anastomosing ER tubes (diameter ~28 nm) with complex branching. The lumen of the tubes contains protein filaments, likely composed of linear arrays of IRE1α lumenal domain dimers, arranged in two intertwined, left-handed helices. Our findings define a previously unrecognized ER subdomain and suggest positive feedback in IRE1 signaling.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a highly dynamic network of membranes. Here, we combine live-cell microscopy with in situ cryo-electron tomography to directly visualize ER dynamics in several secretory cell types including pancreatic β-cells and neurons under near-native conditions. Using these imaging approaches, we identify a novel, mobile form of ER, ribosome-associated vesicles (RAVs), found primarily in the cell periphery, which is conserved across different cell types and species. We show that RAVs exist as distinct, highly dynamic structures separate from the intact ER reticular architecture that interact with mitochondria via direct intermembrane contacts. These findings describe a new ER subcompartment within cells., Support for this study was provided by the L. V. Gerstner Jr., Scholars Program (to Z.F.), the Leon Levy Foundation (to Z.F.), the John F. and Nancy A. Emmerling Fund of the Pittsburgh Foundation (to Z.F.), the Department of Defense PR141292 (to Z.F.), NIH K08DA031241 (to Z.F.), NSF MCB-1408986 (to S.A.M.), the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (to N.H.T.), NIH K01AG045335 (to E.A.G.), NIH 1S10RR019003 (to S.C.W.), NIH 1S10RR025488 (to S.C.W.), NIH 1S10RR016236 (to S.C.W.), NIH F30NS093798 (to S.E.S.), NIH R56AG058593 (to Z.P.W.), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (to P.W., N.H.T., J.F., and G.J.J.), NIH GM29169 (to J.F.), NIH GM122588 (to G.J.J.), NIH AI150464 (to G.J.J.), the Israel Science Foundation Grant 1285/14 (to S.G.W.), the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (grant number 310649) (to D.F.), MINECO AIC-A-2011-0638 (to J.M.C.), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness grant BIO2016-76400-R AEI/FEDER, UE (to J.M.C.), and Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid grant S2017/BMD-3817 (to J.M.C.). Some of the cryo-ET was performed in the Beckman Institute Resource Center for Transmission EM at Caltech. Additional work was also performed at the Simons Electron Microscopy Center and National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy located at the New York Structural Biology Center, supported by grants from the Simons Foundation (349247), NYSTAR, and the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM103310) with added support from NIH S10 RR029300-01. CSTET data acquisition was partially supported by the Irving and Cherna Moskowitz Center for Nano and Bio-Nano Imaging at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Some of the live confocal images were collected and processed in the Confocal and Specialized Microscopy Shared Resource of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University and supported by NIH P30 CA013696. Part of the cryo-EM image processing was conducted as an Instruct-ERIC collaboration project PD1222 at the Instruct Image Processing Center

International audience; In this study, Pd-based catalytic model hosted over nitrogen enriched fibrous Porous-Organic-Polymer (POP) is established to execute hydrodeoxygenation of various vegetable oils in producing potential large-scale renewable diesel. Here we report a cost effective synthesis strategy of a new microporous hypercrosslinked POP through the FeCl3 assisted Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction, followed by fabrication of Pd 0-NPs (2-3 nm) with solid gas phase hydrogenation route to deliver a novel catalytic system. This catalyst (called Pd@PPN) exhibits versatile catalytic performance for different types of vegetable oils including palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil to furnish long chain diesel range alkanes. The catalyst is comprehensively characterized by various spectroscopic tools and shows high stability during five runs of recycling without the leaching of Pd occuring. Our results further reveal that direct decarbonylation (DCN) pathway of fatty acid to produce alkanes with one carbon less is the dominated mechanism. At optimized conditions, using stearic acid to represent the long linear carboxylic acids in the vegetable oils, up to 90 % conversion with 83 % selectivity of C17-alkane has been achieved on our fabricated catalyst. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to provide insights into the electronic properties of the catalyst, the mechanistic reaction pathway, the crucial role of catalyst surface and the product selectivity trend. The strong interaction between corrugated polymer-frame-structure and the Pd-NPs suggests there is the presence of high density step sites on the fabricated Pd-NP anchored within the cage of polymer structure. DFT calcualtions also reveal the strong promotional effect of step sites and charge transfer in facilitating rate-limiting steps during the decarbonylation (DCN) pathway and removal of strongly bound intermediates formed during the process, therefore explain the high activity of the fabricated Pd@PPN catayst for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) conversion to produce bio-based alkanes diesel.

The development of analytical methods for the detection and accurate quantification of algal toxins is of importance to assess the health risk of exposure to algal toxins in freshwater sources. This study established a sensitive and accurate analytical method for the quantification of 13 algal toxins (microcystins and nodularin) based on solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with UPLC-MS/MS, in which

An in-depth understanding of the hydrogeochemical characteristics of coal mines is helpful in establishing an effective and successful exploration program of coalbed methane (CBM). This study provides a comprehensive analysis of hydrogeological characteristics, characteristics of coalbed water, and characteristics of the coal sample from a coal seam located in the Red River Basin (RRB). These physicochemical characteristics along with the microbial composition of coalbed water were critically analyzed. A high concentration of chloride and sodium was found in the coalbed water, presumably due to the coal mine's stratigraphic association with marine or marine-transitional beds. A correlation between the occurrence of microbes and the chemical components in the coalbed water was established. The characteristics of the coal were systematically analyzed, including proximate, ultimate, and petrographic analyses. Based on the coal macerals, coal rank is classified as low-rank (sub-bituminous) with a vitrinite reflectance (Ro, max) of 0.36%, suggesting that this type of low-rank coal is favorable for biogenic methane generation. Pore structures and pore types were characterized using different methods, including low-temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption (LTNA), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Coal from the study area has microporous and macroporous features. Pore types of the coal were also characterized using SEM. The primary genetic pore types of the Red River coal include plant tissue holes and blowholes.

Antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are considered new classes of water contaminants due to their potential adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. This paper provides comprehensive data on the occurrences of 19 antibiotics, bacteria resistant to 10 antibiotics, and 15 ARGs in raw influent and different treatment stages of conventional activated sludge (CAS) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems. Seventeen out of the 19 target antibiotics were detected in raw influent with concentrations of up to ten micrograms per liter. Concentrations of antibiotics measured in the secondary effluent were much lower compared to those in the raw influent. Among the antibiotics, amoxicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, meropenem, minocycline, oxytetracycline, sulfamethazine and vancomycin had highest removal by CAS or MBR systems with median removal efficiency (RE) 70%, while trimethoprim and lincomycin were recalcitrant in the CAS system with median RE50%. Similarly, the target ARB and ARGs were omnipresent in the raw influent samples with average concentrations as high as 2.6 × 10

This study provided the first comprehensive data on the occurrence and removal of twenty-five target emerging contaminants (ECs) in a full-scale water reclamation plant (WRP) in the Southeast Asian region. Nineteen out of the twenty-five ECs were ubiquitously detected in raw influent samples. Concentrations of the detected ECs in raw influent samples ranged substantially from 44.3 to 124,966ng/L, depending upon the compound and sampling date. The elimination of ECs in full-scale conventional activated sludge (CAS) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems at a local WRP was evaluated and compared. Several ECs, such as acetaminophen, atenolol, fenoprofen, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and oxybenzone, exhibited excellent removal efficiencies (>90%) in biological wastewater treatment processes, while some of the investigated compounds (carbamazepine, crotamiton, diclofenac, and iopamidol) appeared to be persistent in the both CAS and MBR systems. Field-based monitoring results showed that MBR outperformed CAS in the elimination of most target ECs. The relationship between molecular characteristics of ECs (i.e. physicochemical properties and structural features) and their removal efficiencies during biological wastewater treatment was also elucidated. Excellent removal efficiencies (>90%) were often noted for ECs with the sole presence of electron donating groups (i.e. phenolic [OH], amine [NH2], methoxy [OCH3], phenoxy [OC6H5], or alkyl groups). Conversely, ECs with the absence of electron donating groups or the predominance of strong electron withdrawing groups (e.g. halogenated, carbonyl, carboxyl, and sulfonamide) tended to show poor removal efficiencies (

Landfill leachate could be a significant source of emerging contaminants (ECs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) into the environment. This study provides the first information on the occurrence of selected ECs and ARGs in raw leachate from 16-year old closed landfill site in Singapore. Among the investigated ECs, acetaminophen (ACT), bisphenol A (BPA), clofibric acid (CA), caffeine (CF), crotamiton (CTMT), diclofenac (DCF), N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), gemfibrozil (GFZ), lincomycin (LIN), salicylic acid (SA), and sulfamethazine (SMZ) were the most frequently detected compounds in raw landfill leachate. The concentrations of detected ECs in raw landfill leachate varied significantly, from below quantification limit to 473,977 ng/L, depending on the compound. In this study, Class I integron (intl1) gene and ten ARGs were detected in raw landfill leachate. Sulfonamide resistance (sul1, sul2, and dfrA), aminoglycoside resistance (aac6), tetracycline resistance (tetO), quinolone resistance (qnrA), and intl1 were ubiquitously present in raw landfill leachate. Other resistance genes, such as beta-lactam resistance (blaNMD1, blaKPC, and blaCTX) and macrolide-lincosamide resistance (ermB) were also detected, detection frequency of50%. The removal of target ECs and ARGs by a full-scale hybrid constructed wetland (CW) was also evaluated. The vast majority of ECs exhibited excellent removal efficiencies (90%) in the investigated hybrid CW system. This hybrid CW system was also found to be effective in the reduction of several ARGs (intl1, sul1, sul2, and qnrA). Aeration lagoons and reed beds appeared to be the most important treatment units of the hybrid CW for removing the majority of ECs from the leachate.

Hospital effluents contain a hazardous amalgam of drug residues and infectious agents. Qualitative and quantitative evidence shows that hospital effluents are enriched in antibiotics, multidrug-resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes and genetic vectors which could facilitate the horizontal transfer of these genes. This chapter provides an overview of the current status of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in hospital effluents and draws comparisons to other AMR monitoring studies in domestic wastewaters and natural aquatic environments. We discuss approaches and standard tools that have been used to measure levels of AMR contamination and provide insights to the latest developments in the detection and profiling of AMR which have yet to gain traction in present surveillance programs.

How local interactions of actin regulators yield large-scale organization of cell shape and movement is not well understood. For example, why does the WAVE complex build lamellipodia, the broad sheet-like protrusions that power cell migration, whereas the homologous actin regulator N-WASP forms spiky finger-like actin networks? N-WASP is known to oligomerize into focal condensates that generate an actin finger. In contrast, the WAVE complex exhibits the linear distribution needed to generate an actin sheet. This linear organization of the WAVE complex could either arise from interactions with the actin cytoskeleton or could represent an ability of the complex to self-organize into a linear template. Using super-resolution microscopy, we find that the WAVE complex forms higher-order linear oligomers that curve into 270 nanometer-wide ring structures in the absence of actin polymer. These rings localize to the necks of membrane invaginations, which display saddle point geometries with positive curvature in one axis and negative curvature in the orthogonal axis. To investigate the molecular mechanism of saddle curvature enrichment, we show that the WAVE complex and IRSp53, a membrane curvature-sensitive protein, collaborate to recognize saddle curvature that IRSp53 cannot sense alone. This saddle preference for the WAVE complex could explain emergent cell behaviors, such as expanding and self-straightening lamellipodia as well as the ability of endothelial cells to recognize and seal transcellular holes. Our work highlights how partnering protein interactions enable complex shape sensing and how feedback between cell shape and actin regulators yields self-organized cell morphogenesis.

Very little information on the occurrence and risk assessment of antibiotics in the aquatic environment is reported for Vietnam, where antibiotics are assumed to be omnipresent in urban canals and lakes at high concentrations due to the easy accessibility of antibiotics without doctor prescription. This study provides comprehensive analysis of the occurrence of 23 antibiotics in urban canals (To Lich and Kim Nguu) and lakes (West Lake, Hoan Kiem, and Yen So) in Hanoi, Vietnam. Of these 23 antibiotics, 18 were detected in urban canals at above 67.9% detection frequency (DF). The concentrations of detected antibiotics were in the range from below quantification limit (MQL) to almost 50,000 ng/L, depending on the compound and sampling site. In urban canals, median concentration of amoxicillin, erythromycin, and sulfamethoxazole was >1000 ng/L while other antibiotics such as ampicillin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, sulfamethazine, tetracycline, tylosin and vancomycin were detected at median concentrations of

This article found mistakes and misunderstandings regarding the collection of occurrence data of antibiotics in surface freshwater from the previous literature. These mistakes and misunderstandings were corrected to avoid the propagation of inaccurate information in the scientific literature.

Picocyanobacteria are small cyanobacteria, being about 0.8–1.5 µm in size. They are present in freshwater environments all over the world and are known to cause harmful algal blooms, although their effects are not well understood. Algal blooms are important to manage because they threaten freshwater resources, with potentially severe effects on ecological and human health. There is also increased urgency due to urbanization and climate change trends which are expected to exacerbate these bloom dynamics. These changes are expected to especially favour picocyanobacteria groups, emphasizing the need for better characterization of their effects in the environment. In this study, we report the discovery that Synechococcus sp. could produce cylindrospermopsin (CYN) and anatoxin-a (ATX). This ability had never been previously reported for this species. Their toxin genes were also partial compared to other major producers such as Raphidiopsis sp. and Anabaena sp., demonstrating potentially unique synthesis pathways that provides insight into the various mechanisms of genetic variation that drives toxin synthesis. The Synechococcus sp. strains were found to produce about 9.0 × 10−5–6.8 × 10−4 fg CYN cell−1 and 4.7 × 10−4–1.5 × 10−2 fg ATX cell−1. The potential for Synechococcus sp. to be toxic highlights a global concern due to its widespread distribution, and through environmental trends that increasingly favour its productivity within freshwater systems around the world.

Very little information on the occurrence and fate of multiple classes of antimicrobials in the aquatic environment is reported for the Southeast Asian region. This study provides the first and comprehensive data on the occurrence of ten different classes of antimicrobials in wastewater samples for Singapore. Among the investigated antimicrobials, 19 out of 21 target compounds were detected in 100% of the collected raw influent samples. Concentrations of the detected antimicrobials in raw influent varied from 23.8 to 43,740 ng/L. Removal of antimicrobials by conventional activated sludge (CAS) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems at a local wastewater treatment plant was evaluated. MBR exhibited better performance over CAS for most target antimicrobials. Beta-lactam, glycopeptide, and fluoroquinolone classes were largely eliminated by biological wastewater treatment processes, whereas trimethoprim and lincosamides appeared to be persistent. Effects of physicochemical properties and chemical structures of target antimicrobials on their removal efficiencies/mechanisms during wastewater treatment process were also discussed.

A robust and sensitive analytical method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of 21 target antimicrobials in different environmental water samples. Both single SPE and tandem SPE cartridge systems were investigated to simultaneously extract multiple classes of antimicrobials. Experimental results showed that good extraction efficiencies (84.5–105.6%) were observed for the vast majority of the target analytes when extraction was performed using the tandem SPE cartridge (SB+HR-X) system under an extraction pH of 3.0. HPLC-MS/MS parameters were optimized for simultaneous analysis of all the target analytes in a single injection. Quantification of target antimicrobials in water samples was accomplished using 15 isotopically labeled internal standards (ILISs), which allowed the efficient compensation of the losses of target analytes during sample preparation and correction of matrix effects during UHPLC-MS/MS as well as instrument fluctuations in MS/MS signal intensity. Method quantification limit (MQL) for most target analytes based on SPE was below 5 ng/L for surface waters, 10 ng/L for treated wastewater effluents, and 15 ng/L for raw wastewater. The method was successfully applied to detect and quantify the occurrence of the target analytes in raw influent, treated effluent and surface water samples.

The development of analytical methods for the detection and accurate quantification of algal toxins is of importance to assess the health risk of exposure to algal toxins in freshwater sources. This study established a sensitive and accurate analytical method for the quantification of 13 algal toxins (microcystins and nodularin) based on solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with UPLC-MS/MS, in which 15N-microcystins were used as surrogate/internal standards. SPE method was optimized to extract the target algal toxins in freshwater samples. Good SPE efficiencies (84–96%) were achieved for the overwhelming majority of the investigated algal toxins when SPE was performed using HLB (500 mg, 6 mL) under alkaline conditions (pH 11). An accurate quantitative analysis of the algal toxins in real freshwater samples was performed by using 15N-labelled microcystins as isotopically labelled internal standards (ILISs), which compensated for the loss of target toxins during the whole analytical process. In addition, ILISs also helped to correct the effects of environmental matrices and instrument fluctuation in UPLC-MS/MS analysis. The limit of method quantification (MQL) for the algal toxins was

Analytical methods based on direct injection (DI) and solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC- MS/MS) were developed for the determination of anatoxin-a (ATX-a), cylindrospermopsin (CYN), and homoanatoxin-a (HATX-a) in freshwater samples impacted with cyanobacterial blooms. The presence of CYN in freshwater samples was detected and quantified based on direct injection method, while ATX-a and HATX-a could be determined by both DI and SPE-based methods. Matrix effects (ME) on the signal intensity of the cyanotoxins were systematically evaluated for both direct injection and SPE extract samples. CYN, ATX-a, and HATX-a suffered a significant suppression during UPLC-MS/MS. The selection of internal standards (ISs) for compensating/correcting the losses of target cyanotoxins during sample preparation and matrix effects in UPLC-MS/MS analyses were systematically evaluated. Acetaminophen-d4 (an isotopically labelled acetaminophen) is a suitable internal standard for correcting the ME on the signal intensity of ATX-a and HATX-a, while the use of L-phenylalanine-d5 or caffeine-d9 as IS for correcting ME of these toxins was not efficient, as expected. The method detection limit (MDL) for the target cyanotoxins ranged from 0.6 to 15 ng/L, which is sensitive enough to detect the presence of these toxins in cyanobacterial bloom freshwater. The developed methods were successfully applied for routine monitoring of the occurrence of these cyanotoxins in a local water body in Singapore. Monitoring results depicted that ATX-a, CYN and HATX-a were ubiquitously detected in water samples, at concentrations ranging from 70 to 24,600 ng/L.

A sensitive quantification method using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed for determination of 19 anthelmintic drugs (ADs) belonging to seven structural groups (Benzimidazoles, Diphenylsulfides, Imidazothiazoles, Hexahydropyrazines, Macrocylic lactones, Salicylanilides, Tetrahydropyrimidines) in environmental water and sediment samples. Eleven SPE cartridges, sample pH, elution solvents were tested to determine the optimal conditions for extraction. Among these investigated SPE types, the best recoveries for 19 target ADs were obtained from Oasis HLB cartridge with 37-102%, 45-103%, 37-88%, 28-82% and 31-90% for spiked river water, tap water, rainwater, wastewater, and sediment respectively (with RSD 15%), except for closantel. The 19 ADs were separated within 10 min by a BEH C18 column and monitored in both positive and negative ions modes with switching electrospray ionization source. The cross-talk interferences were solved by identification of secondary mass spectrum of substances through MRM-IDA-EPI scanning using Qtrap. These interference peaks could be efficiently eliminated by setting MRM segments or using Qtrap to obtain tertiary fragmented information. The developed methods were satisfactory in terms of linearity, accuracy, and precision, and used eight isotopically labeled compounds as internal standards to correct matrix effects. Method quantification limit (MQL) for 19 ADs was below 1.1 ng/L, 0.4 ng/L, 5.4 ng/L and 2.3 ng/g for river water, tap water, wastewater, and sediment, respectively. The validated method was successfully used to investigate the occurrence of anthelmintics in water and sediment samples from Chengdu, China. All ADs were detected in environment with the concentrations at ng/L level.

The ubiquitous occurrence of nutrients (e.g. phosphorus) and micropollutants (e.g. pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting chemicals) in wastewater and urban stormwater runoff sources may cause adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Therefore, the removal of these pollutants from wastewater, treated effluent, and urban stormwater runoff is critically needed. In this study, a novel modified red mud with polypyrrole (RM-PPy) was successfully synthesized with improved functional groups (–OH, –N=, –NH–, N+), specific area (SBET 102.24 m2/g), and mesopore structure (i.e. average pore diameter of 3.29 nm), which are assumed to enhance the adsorptive removal of diclofenac (DCF) and phosphorus (P) in aqueous solution. The measured maximum adsorption capacity of RM-PPy towards diclofenac (195 mg/g) in single adsorbate system was higher than that (115.7 mg/g) in the binary adsorbates system (i.e. in the presence of P), indicating that the presence of pollutants such as P in water hampered the adsorptive removal of DCF. The adsorption of DCF and P was largely dependent on solution pH values. Higher adsorptive removals of DCF and P were observed at acidic conditions (pH 2–5). Adsorption isotherm of DCF and P was better fitted to Freundlich model compared to Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting multilayer coverage. Adsorption of DCF onto RM-PPy might take place via anion exchange and electrostatic interactions. For P adsorption, apart from anion exchange and electrostatic interactions, the chemical precipitation via ligand exchange between P and hydroxyl (–OH) in RM-PPy can be considered as one of the main adsorption mechanisms. Further studies on the competitive adsorption of other anionic micropollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations (ng/L–μg/L) in water samples by RM-PPy are needed to evaluate the potential application of RM-PPy for the removal of other anionic micropollutants (i.e. antibiotics) in treated wastewater and stormwater runoff.

Ecotoxicological risks of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in surface waters are difficult to model because data on PFASs distribution in multiple compartments (sediments, suspended particles and aqueous phase) are difficult to predict. This study quantified the distribution of 21 PFASs including PFCAs: C6-C13 perfluoroalkyl carboxylates, C4, C6, C8 and C10 perfluoroalkane sulfonates, 5 perfluorooctane sulfonamide substances (FOSAMs, including EtFOSA, FOSA, MeFOSAA, EtFOSAA, FOSAA), 2 N-alkyl perfluoroalkane sulfonamidoethanols (MeFOSE and EtFOSE), bis (perfluorooctyl) phosphinic acid (C8/C8 PFPIA), and 5:3 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (5:3 acid) between bulk water and suspended particles in water column, and pore water and benthic sediments from a tropical urban water body. The distribution of PFASs between sorbed and dissolved phase was largely dependent on the perfluoroalkyl chain length (NCF2). PFCAs with NCF2 > 11 and perfluorodecane sulfonate (PFDS, NCF2 = 10) were found predominantly in the suspended particles and sediments. By contrast, short-chain PFASs (NCF2 ≤ 7) were detected predominantly in the dissolved phase. Sediment acts as a sink for long-chain PFASs while short-chain PFASs are more easily transported via the aqueous phase. Compared with benthic sediments, suspended particles, especially those in the top water layer, carried much higher concentrations of PFASs (by a factor of >100), indicating the stronger sorption capability of suspended particles. The wide variation in PFAS concentrations in suspended particles (∑PFASs concentrations: Log KD –desorption > Log KD –sorption > Log KD-SED) suggest that the distribution of PFASs in the field, especially between suspended particles and bulk water could not be well represented by lab results and that using the water concentrations in the bottom layer for estimation of pore water concentrations could lead to bias results.

Diffuse sources of pollution such as sewer leakages, sewer overflows, illicit discharges and stormwater runoff affect the urban surface water quality but often remain unknown. Therefore, the development of chemical markers for identifying and characterizing the origin of diffuse sources of pollution in urban surface waters is a requisite for protecting and managing urban water resources. In this study, the occurrence of 31 emerging contaminants (ECs) in untreated wastewater, treated wastewater, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural stormwater runoff, and freshwater bodies was investigated. Artificial sweeteners (ASs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were more frequently detected in the collected water samples. In raw wastewater, 21 target ECs were detected 100% in the collected samples with median concentrations ranging from 49.6 to 77,721 ng/L, while in freshwater bodies, only 13 compounds were found with detection frequency >50%. The median concentration of the majority of detected ECs in freshwater samples was below 100 ng/L. The suitability of ECs as chemical markers of diffuse sources in an urban watershed was assessed using a suite of criteria, including the detection frequency (DF), detection ratio (DR) (i.e. the ratio between median concentration and method quantification limit of a compound) and attenuation rates (i.e., biodegradation, sorption and abiotic degradation) in wastewater treatment processes. In addition, we propose a new key criterion, the concentration ratio (CR) of labile to conservative compounds, to evaluate the applicability of suitable chemical markers for source tracking. Using this new set of criteria (i.e. CR, DF, DR and attenuation rates), our analysis showed that among the investigated ECs, only acesulfame (ACE), acetaminophen (ACT), cyclamate (CYC), saccharin (SAC) were suitable as chemical markers of diffuse sources in surface waters. For caffeine (CF), N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), crotamiton (CTMT), triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS), their median concentration ratio to sucralose (SUC) in water bodies was consistently higher than that in raw wastewater, suggesting that these compounds might be unsuitable as chemical markers of sewage leakage in surface waters for this study area.

This study evaluated the geospatial distribution of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (i.e., Escherichia coli , Enterococcus spp.) and the alternative fecal indicator pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in tropical freshwater environments under different land use patterns. Results show that the occurrence and concentration of microbial fecal indicators were higher for urban than for parkland-dominated areas, consistent with land use weightage. Significant positive correlations with traditional FIB indicate that PMMoV is a suitable indicator of fecal contamination in tropical catchments waters (0.549 ≤ rho ≤ 0.612; P < 0.01). PMMoV exhibited a strong significant correlation with land use weightage (rho = 0.728; P < 0.01) compared to traditional FIB (rho = 0.583; P < 0.01). In addition, chemical tracers were also added to evaluate the potential relationships with microbial fecal indicators. The relationships between diverse variables (e.g., environmental parameters, land use coverage, and chemical tracers) and the occurrence of FIB and PMMoV were evaluated. By using stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR), the empirical experimental models substantiate the impact of land use patterns and anthropogenic activities on microbial water quality, and the output results of the empirical models may be able to predict the sources and transportation of human fecal pollution or sewage contamination. In addition, the high correlation between PMMoV data obtained from quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and viral metagenomics data supports the possibility of using viral metagenomics to relatively quantify specific microbial indicators for monitoring microbial water quality (0.588 ≤ rho ≤ 0.879; P < 0.05). IMPORTANCE The results of this study may support the hypothesis of using PMMoV as an alternative indicator of human fecal contamination in tropical surface waters from the perspective of land use patterns. The predictive result of the occurrence of human fecal indicators with high accuracy may reflect the source and transportation of human fecal pollution, which are directly related to the risk to human health, and thereafter, steps can be taken to mitigate these risks.

The quality of surface waters/groundwater of a geographical region can be affected by anthropogenic activities, land use patterns and fecal pollution sources from humans and animals. Therefore, the development of an efficient fecal pollution source tracking toolbox for identifying the origin of the fecal pollution sources in surface waters/groundwater is especially helpful for improving management efforts and remediation actions of water resources in a more cost-effective and efficient manner. This review summarizes the updated knowledge on the use of fecal pollution source tracking markers for detecting, evaluating and characterizing fecal pollution sources in receiving surface waters and groundwater. The suitability of using chemical markers (i.e. fecal sterols, fluorescent whitening agents, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and artificial sweeteners) and/or microbial markers (e.g. F+RNA coliphages, enteric viruses, and host-specific anaerobic bacterial 16S rDNA genetic markers) for tracking fecal pollution sources in receiving water bodies is discussed. In addition, this review also provides a comprehensive approach, which is based on the detection ratios (DR), detection frequencies (DF), and fate of potential microbial and chemical markers. DR and DF are considered as the key criteria for selecting appropriate markers for identifying and evaluating the impacts of fecal contamination in surface waters/groundwater.

There is limited information on the occurrence and removal of artificial sweeteners (ASs) in biological wastewater treatment plants, and in particular, the contribution of sorption and biodegradation to their removal. This study investigated the fate of ASs in both the aqueous and solid phases in a water reclamation plant (WRP). All the four targeted ASs, i.e. acesulfame (ACE), sucralose (SUC), cyclamate (CYC) and saccharine (SAC), were detected in both the aqueous and solid phases of raw influent and primary effluent samples. The concentrations of CYC and SAC in secondary effluent or MBR permeate were below their method detection limits. ACE and SUC were persistent throughout the WRP, whereas CYC and SAC were completely removed in biological treatment (>99%). Experimental results showed that sorption played a minor role in the elimination of the ASs due to the relatively low sorption coefficients (Kd), where Kd

Screens in mosaic Drosophila tissues that use chemical mutagenesis have identified many regulators of growth and patterning. Many of the mutant phenotypes observed were contingent upon the presence of both wild-type and mutant cells in the same tissue. More recently, large collections of RNAi lines or cDNAs expressed under Gal4/UAS control have been used to alter gene expression uniformly in specific tissues. However, these newer approaches are not easily combined with the efficient generation of genetic mosaics. The CoinFLP system described here enables mosaic screens in the context of gene knockdown or overexpression by automatically generating a reliable ratio of mutant to wild-type tissue in a developmentally controlled manner. CoinFLP-Gal4 generates mosaic tissues composed of clones of which only a subset expresses Gal4. CoinFLP-LexGAD/Gal4 generates tissues composed of clones that express either Gal4 or LexGAD, thus allowing the study of interactions between different types of genetically manipulated cells. By combining CoinFLP-LexGAD/Gal4 with the split-GFP system GRASP, boundaries between genetically distinct cell populations can be visualized at high resolution.

Emerging contaminants, such as antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, and artificial sweeteners, are recognized as new classes of water contaminants due to their proven or potential adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. This review provides comprehensive data on the occurrence of 60 emerging contaminants (ECs) in influent, treated effluent, sludge, and biosolids in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In particular, data on the occurrence of ECs in the influents and effluents of WWTPs are systematically summarized and categorized according to geographical regions (Asia, Europe, and North America). The occurrence patterns of ECs in raw influent and treated effluents of WWTPs between geographical regions were compared and evaluated. Concentrations of most ECs in raw influent in Asian region tend to be higher than those in European and North American countries. Many antibiotics were detected in the influents and effluents of WWTPs at concentrations close to or exceeding the predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs) for resistance selection. The efficacy of EC removal by sorption and biodegradation during wastewater treatment processes are discussed in light of kinetics and parameters, such as sorption coefficients (K d ) and biodegradation constants (k biol ), and physicochemical properties (i.e. log K ow and pK a ). Commonly used sampling and monitoring strategies are critically reviewed. Analytical research needs are identified, and novel investigative approaches for future monitoring studies are proposed.

Seaweeds are found abundance in most seashores. They contain relatively high lipid contents and are exhibiting medicinal properties. The present work focused on the use of seaweed species Ulva linza, U. tubulosa, U. fasciata, U. rigida, and U. reticulate to synthesize Mn2ZnO4 composite nanoparticles. The later was utilized for biodiesel production and its antibacterial potential was also assessed. Heterogeneous mixed metal oxides are suitable catalysts for biodiesel production due to ease of separation, reusability and environmental friendliness. The employment of multi-resistant organisms (MROS) is of major importance in modern medicines. Thus there is an extreme need for potential antibacterial alternatives such as metal oxides. Mn2ZnO4 nanoparticles were synthesized by using a co-precipitation method. The crystalline behavior and morphological characterizations were carried out through XRD, FE-SEM, Raman Spectra and FT-IR respectively. The particle size was found to be 42 nm. Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) produced from Ulva species was analyzed by gas chromatography and physical parameters were also determined. The yields were as follows: U. linza 72.3%, U. tubulosa 72%, U. fasciata 70.6%, U. rigida 70.4%, and U. reticulate 71.5%. The antibacterial potential of synthesized Mn2ZnO4 nanoparticles after transesterification, showed strong antibacterial activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria and were found to be comparable to commercially available antibiotics. To assess their antibacterial efficiency, the minimum inhibition concentration was measured. The used catalysts exhibit high efficient catalytic activity on degrading methylene blue under UV irradiation.

Two efficient and practical approaches are reported for the synthesis of β- and γ-carboline derivatives from 3,4-dibromopyridine as a common starting material. The β-carbolines were prepared by site-selective Pd-catalyzed C–C coupling with o-bromophenylboronic acid and subsequent cyclization by double C–N coupling with amines. γ-Carbolines were prepared from the same starting material by C–N coupling with anilines and subsequent annulation by domino C–C/C–N coupling with o-bromophenylboronic acid.

Biofilm carriers play an important role in attached growth systems for wastewater treatment processes. This study systematically summarizes the traditional and novel biofilm carriers utilized in biofilm-based wastewater treatment technology. The advantages and disadvantages of traditional biofilm carriers are evaluated and discussed in light of basic property, biocompatibility and applicability. The characteristics, applications performance, and mechanism of novel carriers (including slow-release carriers, hydrophilic/electrophilic modified carriers, magnetic carriers and redox mediator carriers) in wastewater biological treatment were deeply analyzed. Slow release biofilm carriers are used to provide a solid substrate and electron donor for the growth of microorganisms and denitrification for anoxic and/or anaerobic bioreactors. Carriers with hydrophilic/electrophilic modified surface are applied for promoting biofilm formation. Magnetic materials-based carriers are employed to shorten the start-up time of bioreactor. Biofilm carriers acting as redox mediators are used to accelerate biotransformation of recalcitrant pollutants in industrial wastewater.

The presence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) belonging to different therapeutic classes (including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, antiepileptics, and lipid regulators) in hospital wastewater and surface water samples was investigated for the first time in Vietnam. Analytical results showed that 10 PhACs, including naproxen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, propyphenazone, diclofenac, clofibric acid, gemfibrozil, and carbamazepine were detected at least once in the hospital wastewater samples. The detection of these PhACs in hospital wastewater demonstrates that hospital effluents are considered a significant source of pollution of the environment by pharmaceuticals. Our initial results showed that only ibuprofen was removed efficiently by the wastewater treatment plant at sampling site S2. The presence of PhACs in surface water samples may reflect the impacts of wastewater contamination in surface water bodies. The ubiquitous occurrence of carbamazepine in both wastewater and surface water may suggest that carbamazepine can potentially serve as a good molecular marker indicating wastewater contamination in surface water. A tentative assessment of environmental risk of PhACs for surface water has been discussed. Risk quotients higher than one were observed only for carbamazepine, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen, suggesting that these compounds seem to show high risk for aquatic ecosystems.

The degradation of 10 selected pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) by whole fungal culture Trametes versicolor, culture filtrates and commercial laccase preparation was conducted. Complete removal of diclofenac (DCF), naproxen (NPX), indomethacin (IDM), ibuprofen (IBP), and fenoprofen (FEP) and partial degradation of other selected PhACs were observed after 48 hours of incubation with the 7-day-old liquid fungal culture both in the presence and absence of ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) as a laccase-mediator. The catalytic activity of laccase in the degradation of selected PhACs was examined for both crude and commercial extracellular laccase preparations. The results showed that laccase preferentially removed DCF, NPX and IDM among the target PhACs removed by the whole fungal culture. Intracellular enzymes may be involved in the degradation of ketoprofen (KEP), clofibric acid (CA), carbamazepine (CBZ), propyphenazone (PPZ), fenoprofen (FEP) and gemfibrozil (GFZ). The removal of most selected PhACs was increased with the increase in laccase activity. The presence of redox mediators such as ABTS and HBT (1-hyroxybenzotriazole) promoted the degradation of selected PhACs, in which complete removal of DCF, NPX and IDM was observed after 3 hours of incubation with laccase activity (2000 U/L) in the presence of ABTS/HBT. The degradation spectrum by laccase for ionic PhACs with nitrogen-containing structure was quite different from that of the activated sludge process.

The biodegradation of 10 selected pharmaceuticals by enriched nitrifier cultures with ammonia oxidizing activity of 30 mg NH4-N/g MLVSS h was investigated under various initial operating conditions such as in the presence of different growth substrates and inhibitors. The enriched nitrifier culture showed higher degradation of the target pharmaceuticals than the conventional activated sludge. The degradation efficiency of persistent pharmaceuticals such as clofibric acid (CA), diclofenac (DCF), carbamazepine (CBZ), and propyphenazone (PPZ) was increased with the increase in the ammonium concentration. A higher removal efficiency of CA, DCF, CBZ and PPZ was obtained when organic substrates were added. The contribution of autotrophs and heterotrophs in the biotransformation of the pharmaceuticals by the enriched nitrifier culture was successfully estimated by the addition of inhibitors. Experimental results showed that the high degradation of IBP and partial degradation of other selected pharmaceuticals were observed in the presence of allylthiourea (ATU), an ammonia monooxygenase inhibitor, reflecting the activity of heterotrophic bacteria, while the results with and without ATU addition showed that the contribution of the nitrification in the degradation of most pharmaceuticals was also dominant. The results suggest that nitrification can enhance the biotransformation of pharmaceutical substances.

In the present study, the sorption and biodegradation characteristics of five pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), including acetaminophen (ACT), carbamazepine (CBZ), crotamiton (CTMT), diethyltoluamide (DEET) and salicylic acid (SA), were studied in laboratory-batch experiments. Sorption kinetics experimental data showed that sorption systems under this study were more appropriately described by the pseudo second-order kinetics with a correlation coefficient (R2) > 0.98. Sorption equilibrium data of almost all target compounds onto soil could be better described by the Freundlich sorption isotherm model. The adsorption results showed higher soil affinity for SA, following by ACT. Results also indicated a slight effect of pH on PPCP adsorption with lower pH causing lower adsorption of compounds onto the soil except for SA at pH 12. Moreover, adsorption of PPCPs onto the soil was influenced by natural organic matter (NOM) since the higher amount of NOM caused lower adsorption to the soil. Biodegradation studies of selected PPCPs by indigenous microbial community present in soil appeared that the removal rates of ACT, SA and DEET increased with time while no effect had been observed for the rest. This study suggests that the CBZ and CTMT can be considered as suitable chemical sewage indicators based on their low sorption affinity and high resistance to biodegradation.

The characteristics of activated sludge and membrane fouling were evaluated in a sponge-submerged membrane bioreactor (SSMBR) at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) (6.67, 5.33 and 4.00h). At shorter HRT, more obvious membrane fouling was caused by exacerbated cake layer formation and aggravated pore blocking. Activated sludge possessed more extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) due to excessive growth of biomass and lower protein to polysaccharide ratio in soluble microbial products (SMP). The cake layer resistance was aggravated by increased sludge viscosity together with the accumulated EPS and biopolymer clusters (BPC) on membrane surface. However, SMP showed marginal effect on membrane fouling when SSMBRs were operated at all HRTs. The SSMBR with Gemfloc® addition at the optimum HRT of 6.67h demonstrated superior sludge characteristics such as larger floc size, less SMP in mixed liquor with higher protein/polysaccharide ratio, less SMP and BPC in cake layer, thereby further preventing membrane fouling.

The presence of organic matter (OM) in raw wastewater, treated wastewater effluents, and natural water samples has been known to cause many problems in wastewater treatment and water reclamation processes, such as treatability, membrane fouling, and the formation of potentially toxic by-products during wastewater treatment. This paper summarizes the current knowledge on the methods for characterization and quantification of OM in water samples in relation to wastewater and water treatment processes including: (i) characterization based on the biodegradability; (ii) characterization based on particle size distribution; (iii) fractionation based on the hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties; (iv) characterization based on the molecular weight (MW) size distribution; and (v) characterization based on fluorescence excitation emission matrix. In addition, the advantages, disadvantages and applications of these methods are discussed in detail. The establishment of correlations among biodegradability, hydrophobic/hydrophilic fractions, MW size distribution of OM, membrane fouling and formation of toxic by-products potential is highly recommended for further studies.