3 research outputs found
Degradation of Chloroquine by Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria: Performance, Mechanisms, and Associated Impact on N<sub>2</sub>O Production
Since the mass production and extensive use of chloroquine
(CLQ)
would lead to its inevitable discharge, wastewater treatment plants
(WWTPs) might play a key role in the management of CLQ. Despite the
reported functional versatility of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)
that mediate the first step for biological nitrogen removal at WWTP
(i.e., partial nitrification), their potential capability to degrade
CLQ remains to be discovered. Therefore, with the enriched partial
nitrification sludge, a series of dedicated batch tests were performed
in this study to verify the performance and mechanisms of CLQ biodegradation
under the ammonium conditions of mainstream wastewater. The results
showed that AOB could degrade CLQ in the presence of ammonium oxidation
activity, but the capability was limited by the amount of partial
nitrification sludge (∼1.1 mg/L at a mixed liquor volatile
suspended solids concentration of 200 mg/L). CLQ and its biodegradation
products were found to have no significant effect on the ammonium
oxidation activity of AOB while the latter would promote N2O production through the AOB denitrification pathway, especially
at relatively low DO levels (≤0.5 mg-O2/L). This
study provided valuable insights into a more comprehensive assessment
of the fate of CLQ in the context of wastewater treatment
Efficient Chloroquine Removal by Electro-Fenton with FeS<sub>2</sub>‑Modified Cathode: Performance, Influencing Factors, Pathway Contributions, and Degradation Mechanisms
The application of chloroquine (CLQ) due to its antibacterial/antiviral
nature and high potential of being persistent and bioaccumulative
poses a significant environmental threat. In this study, the electro-Fenton
(EF) process with pyrite (FeS2)-modified graphite felt
(FeS2/GF) as the cathode (EF-FeS2/GF), capable
of providing a stable acidic environment with a solution pH of 3.0
was constructed and found to (i) achieve 83.3 ± 0.4% 60 min CLQ
removal and (ii) maintain about 60.0% CLQ removal during consecutive
batch tests. FeS2 loading amount, current density applied,
and spacing between electrodes all influenced the efficacy of EF-FeS2/GF, with the optimum CLQ removal obtained at 10 mg, 150 mA,
and 2.0 cm, respectively. Adsorption and electrocatalysis were both
observed to contribute to the CLQ removal while the EF process with
the verified functioning of ·OH played a dominant
role. Based on the detected intermediates with identified ecotoxicities,
two main paths were postulated to describe the degradation processes
which led to the mineralization of CLQ. These findings supported that
the EF-FeS2/GF could be an efficient technology to treat
wastewater contaminated with CLQ
Modeling of Simultaneous Anaerobic Methane and Ammonium Oxidation in a Membrane Biofilm Reactor
Nitrogen
removal by using the synergy of denitrifying anaerobic
methane oxidation (DAMO) and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox)
microorganisms in a membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) has previously
been demonstrated experimentally. In this work, a mathematical model
is developed to describe the simultaneous anaerobic methane and ammonium
oxidation by DAMO and Anammox microorganisms in an MBfR for the first
time. In this model, DAMO archaea convert nitrate, both externally
fed and/or produced by Anammox, to nitrite, with methane as the electron
donor. Anammox and DAMO bacteria jointly remove the nitrite fed/produced,
with ammonium and methane as the electron donor, respectively. The
model is successfully calibrated and validated using the long-term
(over 400 days) dynamic experimental data from the MBfR, as well as
two independent batch tests at different operational stages of the
MBfR. The model satisfactorily describes the methane oxidation and
nitrogen conversion data from the system. Modeling results show the
concentration gradients of methane and nitrogen would cause stratification
of the biofilm, where Anammox bacteria mainly grow in the biofilm
layer close to the bulk liquid and DAMO organisms attach close to
the membrane surface. The low surface methane loadings result in a
low fraction of DAMO microorganisms, but the high surface methane
loadings would lead to overgrowth of DAMO bacteria, which would compete
with Anammox for nitrite and decrease the fraction of Anammox bacteria.
The results suggest an optimal methane supply under the given condition
should be applied not only to benefit the nitrogen removal but also
to avoid potential methane emissions