This paper aims to demonstrate the benefits of using a natural coagulant to enhance gravitational sedimentation of pig slurry. The separation process would lead to a liquid fraction, more biodegradable and with lower nutrient content, and a solid fraction highly concentrated in organic matter. Experimental trials were conducted in order to achieve the following objectives: (i) compare the effect of gravitational sedimentation with coagulation–flocculation process, (ii) compare the efficiency of conventional coagulants (such as aluminium sulphate or ferric chloride) with chitosan biopolymer and (iii) test the optimum coagulation–flocculation operational conditions to slurry sample. Assessment criteria included removal efficiencies but also took into consideration the advantages/disadvantages regarding sludge management. Results showed that gravitational sedimentation process can be improved by addition of coagulants; turbidity and COD removal increased around 2 and 3 times, respectively.

Low-cost and environmentally friendly mediators could facilitate the application of laccase (EC 1.10.3.2) in variant biotechnological processes. Acetylacetone (AA) represents an inexpensive and low toxic small molecular diketone that has been proven as an effective mediator for laccase in free radical polymerization. However, the potential of AA as a mediator for laccase in pollutant detoxification and/or degradation is still unknown. In this work, the roles of AA in laccase-induced polymerization and transformation were investigated. AA was demonstrated to be a highly efficient mediator in the laccase-induced grafting copolymerization of acrylamide and chitosan. The efficacy of AA in the laccase-induced decoloration of malachite green (MG) was compared with that of the widely used 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT). The laccase-AA system had the highest turnover number (TON, 39.1 μmol/U), followed by the laccase-only system (28.5 μmol/U), while the TON of the laccase-HBT system was the lowest (14.9 μmol/U). The pseudo-first-order transformation rate constant (k ₁) of MG in the laccase-AA system was up to 0.283 h⁻¹ under the given conditions, while the k ₁ of AA caused by laccase was only 0.008 h⁻¹. In the five-cycle run, the concentration of AA remained stable. The larger TON of the laccase-AA system and the stability of AA in the cycling runs demonstrate that AA was more recyclable than HBT in the LMS, leading to a prolonged serving life of laccase. These results suggest that AA might be a potential redox mediator for laccase.

The effects of chitosan, gallic acid, and algicide chitosan-gallate on the activities of antioxidant enzymes, malonaldehyde (MDA) content, and photosynthetic activity of Microcystis flos-aquae were investigated to explore the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of algicides. Results demonstrated that chitosan did not significantly affect catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, MDA content, and photosynthetic activity in this alga. At 30 mg L⁻¹, gallic acid, CAT, and SOD activities and MDA of M. flos-aquae cells showed maximums of 2.872 × 10⁻¹⁰ mg·cell⁻¹ min⁻¹, 0.787 × 10⁻⁸ U·cell⁻¹, and 0.626 × 10⁻⁸ nmol·cell⁻¹, respectively. Photosynthetic organs in algal cells were severely damaged under the stress of high gallic acid concentrations, inducing blockage of photosynthetic electron transport and resulting in the inability to restore normal photosynthetic activity. CAT and SOD activities and MDA content with lower algicide concentration were significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.05) and, in higher algicide groups, significantly lower than the control (p < 0.05). Algicide releasing gallic acid in groups treated with 60, 90, and 130 mg/L algicide was strong enough to cause severe damage to photosynthetic organs in these algal cells. The algicide suppression time was longer than that of directly added gallic acid.

Three types of chitosan with high (3.40 × 10⁶), medium (2.11 × 10⁵), and low (5.89 × 10⁴) molecular weights were chosen as ligands to synthesize chitosan magnesium, calcium, iron(III), and zinc coordination complexes. Degradation of four organophosphorous pesticides (dichlorvos, omethoate, dimethoate, and chlorpyrifos) by the above complexes in a heterogeneous system was studied using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography (GC). The degradation effect is related to the different types of chitosan, metal, and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs). Complexes of transition metals and the low molecular weight chitosan showed high hydrolytic activity. The chitosan-iron(III) complex was further used to study its catalytic kinetics on the hydrolysis of OPs. At pH 7.0 and 20 °C, the half-life of dichlorvos hydrolyzed by chitosan iron(III) was 52 h, whereas that of spontaneous dichlorvos hydrolysis was 105 h. The degradation ratio of omethoate and dimethoate increased to 38 and 52 %, respectively, which were 34 and 48 % higher than the control after 6 days at pH 7.0 and 20 °C. For all tested conditions, an increase of pH and temperature resulted in a higher degradation rate.

An innovative ex situ soil washing technology was developed to remediate polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and heavy metals in an electronic waste site. Elevated temperature (50 °C) in combination with ultrasonication (40 kHz, 20 min) at 5.0 mL L⁻¹sunflower oil and 2.5 g L⁻¹carboxymethyl chitosan were found to be effective in extracting mixed pollutants from soil. After two successive washing cycles, the removal efficiency rates for total PBDEs, BDE28, BDE47, BDE209, Pb, and Cd were approximately 94.1, 93.4, 94.3, 99.1, 89.3, and 92.7 %, respectively. Treating the second washed soil with PBDE-degrading bacteria (Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1) inoculation and nutrient addition for 3 months led to maximum biodegradation rates of 37.3, 52.6, 23.9, and 1.3 % of the remaining total PBDEs, BDE28, BDE47, BDE209, respectively. After the combined treatment, the microbiological functions of washed soil was partially restored, as indicated by a significant increase in the counts, biomass C, N, and functioning diversity of soil microorganisms (p < 0.05), and the residual PBDEs and heavy metals mainly existed as very slow desorbing fractions and residual fractions, as evaluated by Tenax extraction combined with a first-three-compartment model and sequential extraction with metal stability indices (IRand Uₜₛ). Additionally, the secondary environmental risk of mixed contaminants in the remediated soil was limited. Therefore, the proposed combined cleanup strategy is an environment-friendly technology that is important for risk assessment and management in mixed-contaminated sites.

The microbial breakdown of chitosan, a fishery waste-based material, and its derivative cross-linked chitosans, in both non-contaminated and contaminated conditions was investigated in a laboratory incubation study. Biodegradation of chitosan and cross-linked chitosans was affected by the presence of heavy metals. Zn was more pronounced in inhibiting microbial activity than Cu and Pb. It was estimated that a longer period is required to complete the breakdown of the cross-linked chitosans (up to approximately 100 years) than unmodified chitosan (up to approximately 10 years). The influence of biodegradation on the bioavailable fraction of heavy metals was studied concurrently with the biodegradation trial. It was found that the binding behaviour of chitosan for heavy metals was not affected by the biodegradation process.

Immunity represents a trait common to all living organisms, and animals and plants share some similarities. Therefore, in susceptible host plants, complex defence machinery may be stimulated by elicitors. Among these, chitosan deserves particular attention because of its proved efficacy. This survey deals with the antiviral activity of chitosan, focusing on its perception by the plant cell and mechanism of action. Emphasis has been paid to benefits and limitations of this strategy in crop protection, as well as to the potential of chitosan as a promising agent in virus disease control.