Direct emissions of N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄, three important greenhouse gases (GHGs), from biological sewage treatment process have attracted increasing attention worldwide, due to the increasing concern about climate change. Despite the tremendous efforts devoted to understanding GHG emission from biological sewage treatment process, the impact of influent C/N ratios, in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD)/total nitrogen (TN), on an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A/A/O) bioreactor system has not been investigated. In this work, the direct GHG emission from A/A/O bioreactor systems fed with actual sewage was analyzed under different influent C/N ratios over a 6-month period. The results showed that the variation in influent carbon (160 to 500 mg/L) and nitrogen load (35 to 95 mg/L) dramatically influenced pollutant removal efficiency and GHG production from this process. In the A/A/O bioreactor systems, the GHG production increased from 26–39 to 112–173 g CO₂-equivalent as influent C/N ratios decreased from 10.3/10.7 to 3.5/3.8. Taking consideration of pollutant removal efficiency and direct biogenic GHG (N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄) production, the optimum influent C/N ratio was determined to be 7.1/7.5, at which a relatively high pollutant removal efficiency and meanwhile a low level of GHG production (30.4 g CO₂-equivalent) can be achieved. Besides, mechanical aeration turned out to be the most significant factor influencing GHG emission from the A/A/O bioreactor systems.

The present work reports the utilization of a common household waste material (fish scales of Labeo rohita) for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles. The method so developed was found to be green, environment-friendly, and economic. The fish scale extracts were acting as a stabilizing and reducing agents. This method avoids the use of external reducing and stabilizing agents, templates, and solvents. The compositional abundance of gelatin may be envisaged for the effective reductive as well as stabilizing potency. The mechanisms for the formation of nanoparticles have also been presented. The synthesized copper nanoparticles formed were predominantly spherical in nature with an average size of nanoparticles in the range of 25–37 nm. The copper nanoparticles showed characteristic Bragg’s reflection planes of fcc which was supported by both selected area electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction pattern and showed surface plasmon resonance at 580 nm. Moreover, the energy dispersive spectroscopy pattern also revealed the presence of only elemental copper in the copper nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles were used for the remediation of a carcinogenic and noxious textile dye, Methylene blue, from aqueous solution. Approximately, 96 % degradation of Methylene blue dye was observed within 135 min using copper nanoparticles. The probable mechanism for the degradation of the dye has been presented, and the degraded intermediates have been identified using the liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy technique. The high efficiency of nanoparticles as photocatalysts has opened a promising application for the removal of hazardous dye from industrial effluents contributing indirectly to environmental cleanup process.

Nowadays, pharmaceuticals (PCs) are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems. It is known that these compounds have ecotoxic effects on aquatic organisms at low concentrations. Moreover, some of them can bioaccumulate inside organisms or trophic webs exposed at environmental concentrations and amplify ecotoxic impacts. PCs can bioaccumulate in two ways: exposure to a medium (e.g., respiration, diffusion, etc.) and/or through the dietary route. Here, we try to assess the respective contributions of these two forms of contamination of the first two levels of an aquatic trophic web. We exposed Daphnia magna for 5 days to 0, 5, and 50 μg/L ¹⁵N-tamoxifen and then fed them with control and contaminated diets. We used an isotopic method to measure the tamoxifen content inside the daphnids after several minutes’ exposure and every day before and after feeding. We found that tamoxifen is very bioaccumulative inside daphnids (BCF up to 12,000) and that the dietary route has a significant impact on contamination by tamoxifen (BAF up to 22,000), especially at low concentrations in medium.

Bioaccumulation of Cd²⁺in soil bacteria might represent an important route of metal transfer to associated mycorrhizal fungi and plants and may have potential as a tool to accelerate Cd²⁺extraction in the bioremediation of contaminated soils. The present study examined the bioaccumulation of Cd²⁺in 15 bacterial strains representing three phyla (Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes) that were isolated from the rhizosphere, ectomycorrhizae, and fruitbody of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The strains Pseudomonas sp. IV-111-14, Variovorax sp. ML3-12, and Luteibacter sp. II-116-7 displayed the highest biomass productivity at the highest tested Cd²⁺concentration (2 mM). Microscopic analysis of the cellular Cd distribution revealed intracellular accumulation by strains Massilia sp. III–116-18, Pseudomonas sp. IV-111-14, and Bacillus sp. ML1-2. The quantities of Cd measured in the interior of the cells ranged from 0.87 to 1.31 weight % Cd. Strains originating from the rhizosphere exhibited higher Cd²⁺accumulation efficiencies than strains from ectomycorrhizal roots or fruitbodies. The high Cd tolerances of Pseudomonas sp. IV-111-16 and Bacillus sp. ML1-2 were attributed to the binding of Cd²⁺as cadmium phosphate. Furthermore, silicate binding of Cd²⁺by Bacillus sp. ML1-2 was observed. The tolerance of Massilia sp. III-116-18 to Cd stress was attributed to a simultaneous increase in K⁺uptake in the presence of Cd²⁺ions. We conclude that highly Cd-tolerant and Cd-accumulating bacterial strains from the genera Massilia sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Bacillus sp. might offer a suitable tool to improve the bioremediation efficiency of contaminated soils.

Our research provides the first complete year-long dataset of wet deposition of trace elements in the high Himalayas based on a total of 42 wet deposition events on the northern slope of Mt. Qomolangma (Everest). Except for typical crustal elements (Al, Fe, and Mn), the concentration level of most trace elements (Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sn, Cs, Pb, Bi, and U) are generally comparable to those preserved in snow pits and ice cores from the nearby East Rongbuk Glacier. Cadmium was the element most affected by anthropogenic emissions. No pronounced seasonal variations are observed for most trace elements despite different transport pathways. In our study, the composition of wet precipitation reflects a regional background condition and is not clearly related to specific source regions. For the trace element record from ice cores and snow pits in the Himalayas, it could be deduced that the pronounced seasonal patterns were caused by the dry deposition of trace elements (aerosols) during their long exposure to the atmosphere after precipitation events. Our findings are of value for the understanding of the trace element deposition mechanisms in the Himalayas.

The aim of this study was to design a remediation technique using both soil washing and microbial degradation to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soil. PAH biodegradation by inoculation of Mycobacterium sp. was first tested. The effectiveness of washing agents (Tween 80 solution, biodiesel, and a two-phase partition system (TPPS)) was then evaluated with column experiments. Third, the combination of TPPS washing and microbial degradation was studied. PAH bioavailability before and after biodegradation and the joint remediation was also assessed using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) extraction. Only phenanthrene and anthracene were noticeably biodegradable when the soil was inoculated with Mycobacterium sp. TPPS containing 2 % (v/v) biodiesel and 2.5 % (w/v) Tween 80 was used as the washing agent for the joint remediation test because it gave higher PAH extractions than Tween 80 solution with lower doses, and there was less residue in the soil. Joint TPPS washing and microbial degradation gave a total PAH removal of 92.6 %, which was much higher than the results from either the biodegradation or washing experiments alone. Removals of all high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs were improved. Bioavailable concentrations of all PAHs decreased significantly after the joint remediation process, indicating that there were reduced risks from all PAHs. The results demonstrate that the combination of TPPS washing and microbial degradation is a useful and innovative process for remediation of PAH-contaminated soils.

The Badboot (Dutch for swimming pool boat) is a floating swimming pool located in the city center of Antwerp in Belgium. The overall design consists of a recycled ferry boat that serves as a restaurant and next to that a newly built ship that harbours an Olympic size swimming pool, sun decks, locker rooms with showers, and a party space. A major design goal of the project was to make the ship as environmentally friendly as possible. To avoid discharge of contaminated waste water in the Antwerp docks, the ship includes onsite treatment of wastewater in a compact constructed wetland. The treatment wetland system was designed to treat wastewater from visitor locker rooms, showers, toilets, two bars, and the wastewater from the restaurant kitchen. Due to the limited space on board the ship, only 188 m² could be allocated to a wetland treatment system. As a result, part of the design included intensification of the wetland treatment process through the use of Forced Bed Aeration, which injects small quantities of air in a very uniform grid pattern throughout the wetland with a mechanical air compressor. The system was monitored between August 2012 and March 2013 (with additional sampling in the autumn of 2014). Flows and loads to the wetland were highly variable, but removal efficiency was extremely high; 99.5 % for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 88.6 % for total nitrogen and 97.2 % for ammonia. The treatment performance was assessed using a first-order, tanks-in-series model (the P-k-C* model) and found to be roughly equivalent to similar intensified wetlands operating in Germany. However, treatment performance was substantially better than data reported on passive wetlands, likely as a result of intensification. Even with mechanically assisted aeration, the total oxygen delivered to the treatment wetlands was insufficient to support conventional nitrification and denitrification, so it is likely that alternate nitrogen removal pathways, such as anammox, are operating in the wetland.

In this study, the 96-h LC₅₀ at 22 and 26 °C values was 28.591 and 11.761 mg/L, respectively, for NiCl₂ exposure in the abalone. The alteration of physiological and immune–toxicological parameters such as the total hemocyte count (THC), lysozyme, phenoloxidase (PO), and phagocytosis activity was measured in the abalone exposed to nickel (200 and 400 μg/L) under thermal stress for 96 h. In this study, Mg and THC decreased, while Ca, lysozyme, PO, and phagocytosis activity increased in the hemolymph of Pacific abalone exposed to NiCl₂ when compared to a control at both 22 and 26 °C. However, these parameters were not affected by a rise in temperature from 22 to 26 °C in non-exposed groups. Our results showed that NiCl₂ below 400 μg/L was able to stimulate immune responses in abalone. However, complex stressors, thermal changes, or NiCl₂ can modify the immunological response and lead to changes in the physiology of host–pollutant interactions in the abalone.

The objective of this study was to assess the growth of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and its ability to accumulate Cu from polluted water with high Cu concentrations and a mixture of other contaminants under short-term exposure, in order to use this species for the remediation of highly contaminated sites. Two hydroponic experiments were performed under greenhouse conditions for 7 days. One of them consisted of growing water hyacinth in Hoagland solution supplemented with 15 or 25 mg Cu/L and a control. The other one contained water hyacinth growing in polluted river water supplemented with 15 mg Cu/L and a control. Cu was accumulated principally in roots. The maximum Cu concentration was 23,387.2 mg/kg dw in the treatment of 25 mg Cu/L in Hoagland solution. Cu translocation from roots to leaves was low. The mixture of 15 mg Cu/L with polluted water did not appear to have toxic effects on the water hyacinth. This plant showed a remarkable uptake capacity under elevated Cu concentrations in a mixture of pollutants similar to pure industrial effluents in a short time of exposure. This result has not been reported before, to our knowledge. This species is suitable for phytoremediation of waters subject to discharge of mixed industrial effluents containing elevated Cu concentrations (≥15 mg Cu/L), as well as nutrient-rich domestic wastewaters.

Adding sorbents to sediments has been suggested as an effective technology for contaminated sediment remediation. In this study, a zirconium-modified zeolite (ZrMZ) was prepared, characterized, and used as a sediment amendment to control phosphorus (P) release from eutrophic lake sediments. The efficiency of ZrMZ in immobilizing P from water and sediments was investigated through a series of experiments. The phosphate adsorption capacity for ZrMZ decreased with increasing water pH. The adsorption of phosphate on ZrMZ followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The equilibrium adsorption data of phosphate on ZrMZ could be well described by the Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 10.2 mg P/g at pH 7 and 25 °C. Sequential extraction of P from the phosphate-adsorbed ZrMZ suggested that most of P bound by ZrMZ existed as the NaOH extractable P (NaOH-P) and residual P (Res-P) and was unlikely to be released under natural pH and reducing conditions. The addition of ZrMZ into sediments reduced the inorganic P activity in the sediments by transforming bicarbonate–dithionite extractable P (BD-P) to NaOH-P and Res-P. The contents of bioavailable P such as water-soluble P (WS-P), NaHCO₃extractable P (Olsen-P), and algal available P (AAP) in sediments reduced after the sediments were mixed with ZrMZ, making P in the sediments more stable. The addition of ZrMZ into sediments significantly reduced the releasing flux of P from the sediments to the water column under different conditions. Results of this study indicate that the ZrMZ is a promising sediment amendment for controlling the internal P loading of lake sediments.