Removal of Malachite Green using carbonized material derived from disposable facemasks: optimization of removal process through Box-Behnken design.

Water resources are being heavily contaminated due to the huge load of toxic pollutants released by industrial activities. Among various physical and chemical methods, adsorption is considered as a promising method for rapidly removing contaminants from wastewater. In the present study, a novel carbon-based adsorbent was prepared through controlled pyrolysis of disposable facemasks. The properties of carbonized compound (CC) were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM and EDX. The pollutant removal efficiency of CC was initially investigated with synthetic dyes Malachite Green (MG) and Congo Red (CR). The peaks observed in FTIR spectra corresponding to C=O and C=C and C-N functional groups on adsorbed CC surface confirm the interaction between dye and CC. The XRD spectra of CC showed strong peaks at 2θ = 26.629, 27.488, 27.810 and 29.404 which correspond to the disordered graphitic plane. The SEM images of CC showed good porosity nature. A quadratic model was developed through response surface methodology by conducting a series of Box-Behnken design experiments. Adequacy of this model variables was ensured by ANOVA tests at P-value <0.05. The lower P-value (<0.0001) and higher F-value (44.54) of the quadratic model showed it was a significant model for dye removal. Finally, the optimal condition to obtain maximum MG removal (rate >99%) was identified by desirability function as CC 1000 and MG 212 mg/L and adsorption time 180 min. Adsorption kinetic study indicates that a pseudo second-order kinetic model showed the best fit with R2 = 0.999.

Production of bioflocculant from Klebsiella pneumoniae: evaluation of fish waste extract as substrate and flocculation performance.

The bioflocculant producing bacterial strain - UKD24 was isolated from the domestic sewage treatment plant. The isolated strain was identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The K. pneumoniae UKD24 showed remarkable flocculation rates when grown with the carbon sources namely glucose, sucrose and lactose, and many commercial nitrogen sources. Furthermore, the fish waste extract (FE) was used to enhance the productivity of the bioflocculant as a nitrogen supplement and it showed a significant level of flocculation rate similar to the commercial nitrogen sources. The Box-Behnken experiments were designed to predict the optimal conditions for bioflocculant production and it suggested that glucose - 3.247 g L-1, FE - 0.5 g L-1 and inoculum size - 1% are the suitable levels for bioflocculant production. The FTIR analysis of the bioflocculant showed the functional groups related to the polysaccharides and the EEM analysis showed the fluorescence components related to the proteins and humic acids. The biochemical composition of the bioflocculant was identified as polysaccharides (24.36 ± 1.5%) and protein (12.15 ± 0.2%). The tested optimum conditions of the bioflocculant to induce flocculation were tested in the kaolin wastewater and it showed that the optimum dosage of the flocculant was 5 mg L-1 and the pH range was broad as 5-10. The cation dependency tests revealed that the monovalent and divalent cations are highly suitable for flocculation while the trivalent cations showed moderate flocculation. The Cr(VI) removal efficiency of the bioflocculant showed that ∼35% of heavy metal is trapped into flocks during the flocculation.

Plant extract as environmental-friendly green catalyst for the reduction of hexavalent chromium in tannery effluent.

The aqueous extract of various plants like Coriandrum sativum (AECS), Alternanthera tenella colla (AEAT), Spermacoce hispida (AESH) and Mollugo verticillata (AEMV) was studied for its hexavalent chromium (CrVI) reduction property. Even though antioxidant activity was present, AEAT, AESH and AEMV did not reduce CrVI. AECS showed rapid and dose-dependent CrVI reduction. The efficient reduction of 50 mg/L of CrVI using AECS was attained in the presence of 250 µg/mL of starting plant material, incubating the reaction mixture at pH 2, 30°C and agitation at 190 rpm. Under such conditions, about 40 mg/L of CrVI was reduced at 3 h of incubation. FT-IR analysis revealed the involvement of phenols, alcohols, alpha-hydroxy acid and flavonoids present in the AECS for the CrVI reduction. These results indicate that not all the plant extracts with rich antioxidants are capable of reducing CrVI. Using the conditions standardized in the present study, AECS reduced about 80% of CrVI present in the tannery effluent. These results signify the application of AECS as an eco-friendly method in the wastewater treatment.

Lipid accumulation potential of oleaginous yeasts: A comparative evaluation using food waste leachate as a substrate.

In present study, the efficiency of three oleaginous yeasts i.e., Yarrowia lipolytica, Rhodotorula glutinis and Cryptococcus curvatus were compared for their lipid assimilation capacities using three different FW-leachates as a medium. The FW-leachates were collected from dry anaerobic digesters and diluted to achieve carbohydrate content of 25gL-1 prior to yeast inoculations. Around 5% of yeast cultures were individually mixed in three different FW-leachate mediums and incubated under 30°C and 150rpm agitation for 6days. The Y. lipolytica produced high biomass with lipid contents of 49.0±2% on dry weight basis. Whereas, the acetic acid concentration of >6gL-1 inhibited the growth of R. glutinis. The study observed that the selection of appropriate FW-leachate composition is highly important for biolipid accumulation by oleaginous yeasts.

Waste-to-biofuel: production of biobutanol from sago waste residues.

The main concern of extensive production of biobutanol has been associated with the high cost of the substrate and the relatively low tolerance of Clostridia to biobutanol production. In this study, the use of fermentable cassava waste residue (CWR) as substrate for biobutanol production was investigated using solvent-tolerant Clostridium sp. Four of obligatory, solvent-producing bacteria were isolated from sago industry waste sites. The NSW, PNAS1, SB5 and SBI4 strains showed identical profiles of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of Bacillus coagulans, Clostridium bifermentans and Clostridium sp. (97% similarity) and a wide range of carbohydrate substrate; however, the CWR was found to be suitable for the production of biobutanol considerably. Batch culture study was carried out using parameters such as time and temperature and carbon sources have been studied and optimized. Using pre-optimized CWR medium, significant amount of solvent production was observed in NSW, PNAS1, SB5 and SBI4 with 1.53, 3.36, 1.56 and 2.5 g L-1of butanol yield and 6.84, 9.012, 8.32 and 8.22 g L-1of total solvents, respectively. On the basis of these studies, NSW is proposed to represent the B. coagulans for butanol production directly from sago waste residues.

Degradation of synthetic pollutants in real wastewater using laccase encapsulated in core-shell magnetic copper alginate beads.

Immobilization of laccase has been highlighted to enhance their stability and reusability in bioremediation. In this study, we provide a novel immobilization technique that is very suitable to real wastewater treatment. A perfect core-shell system composing copper alginate for the immobilization of laccase (Lac-beads) was produced. Additionally, nFe2O3 was incorporated for the bead recycling through magnetic force. The beads were proven to immobilize 85.5% of total laccase treated and also to be structurally stable in water, acetate buffer, and real wastewater. To test the Lac-beads reactivity, triclosan (TCS) and Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) were employed. The Lac-beads showed a high percentage of TCS removal (89.6%) after 8h and RBBR decolonization at a range from 54.2% to 75.8% after 4h. Remarkably, the pollutants removal efficacy of the Lac-beads was significantly maintained in real wastewater with the bead recyclability, whereas that of the corresponding free laccase was severely deteriorated.

Dewatering of saline sewage sludge using iron-oxidizing bacteria: Effect of substrate concentration.

This study investigated the improvement in dewaterability of activated sludge (ACS) and anaerobically digested sludge (ADS) through bioacidification approach using iron-oxidizing bacterium, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. ACS and ADS were treated with A. ferrooxidans culture with addition of different concentrations of energy substrate, in terms of Fe(2+):sludge solids ratio (0:1, 0.01:1, 0.05:1 and 0.1:1), and the dewaterability was assessed by determining the capillary suction time (CST), time to filter (TTF) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of the sludge. The results revealed that the levels of Fe(2+) significantly influenced the sludge acidification (pH⩽3). The CST, TTF and SRF values rapidly decreased in treated sludge, indicating that dewaterability of the sludge was significantly (p<0.05) improved than untreated sludge. This investigation clearly demonstrates that A. ferrooxidans culture, as biogenic flocculant, can be potentially used for improving the sludge flocculation, stabilization and dewaterability.

Fate of extracellular polymeric substances of anaerobically digested sewage sludge during pre-dewatering conditioning with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans culture.

This study investigated the fate of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of anaerobically digested saline sewage sludge during its preconditioning. Sludge was conditioned with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (AF) culture for 24h in the presence and absence of Fe(2+) as an energy substrate. pH decreased from 7.24 to 3.12 during sludge conditioning process. The capillary suction time (CST) of conditioned sludge significantly decreased to <10s, and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) was reduced by >94% as compared with control within 4h of conditioning with or without Fe(2+), indicating a significant (P<0.001) improvement in sludge dewaterability. A noticeable decrease in extractable EPS was observed in conditioned sludge. The EPS contents showed a significant negative correlation with dewaterability of sludge (P<0.05). The results suggest that bioacidification treatment using A. ferrooxidans effectively improved sludge dewaterability through modification of sludge EPS.

Sludge conditioning using biogenic flocculant produced by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans for enhancement in dewaterability.

Biogenic flocculant produced by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was used for sludge conditioning to improve the dewaterability of anaerobically-digested sludge, and its efficiency was compared with commercial cationic polyacrylamide (PAM). Biogenic flocculant rapidly reduced the pH and increased the oxidation-reduction potential of sludge. Capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistant to filtration (SRF) of sludge was decreased by 74% and 89%, respectively, compared with control; and the reductions were 58% CST and 67% SRF higher when compared with commercial polymer. Biogenic treatment improved the sludge calorific value by 13%, and also reduced the unpleasant odor. The small-scale mechanical filter press study showed that the biogenic flocculant can reduce the moisture content of sludge to 70%, and improve the clarity of the filtrate in terms of removal of total suspended solids and total dissolved solids when compared with synthetic polymer treatment.

Aerobic bacterial catabolism of persistent organic pollutants - potential impact of biotic and abiotic interaction.

Several aerobic bacteria possess unique catabolic pathways enabling them to degrade persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The catabolic activity of aerobic bacteria employed for removal of POPs in the environment may be modulated by several biotic (i.e. fungi, plants, algae, earthworms, and other bacteria) and abiotic (i.e. zero-valent iron, advanced oxidation, and electricity) agents. This review describes the basic biochemistry of the aerobic bacterial catabolism of selected POPs and discusses how biotic and abiotic agents enhance or inhibit the process. Solutions allowing biotic and abiotic agents to exert physical and chemical assistance to aerobic bacterial catabolism of POPs are also discussed.

Improved dewatering of CEPT sludge by biogenic flocculant from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

Bioleaching using an iron-oxidizing bacterium, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, and its biogenic flocculants was evaluated to improve the dewaterability of chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) sewage sludge. CEPT sludge in flasks was inoculated with A. ferrooxidans culture, medium-free cells and the cell-free culture filtrate with and without the energy substance Fe(2+), and periodically the sludge samples were analysed for the dewaterability. This investigation proves that bioleaching effectively improved the sludge dewaterability as evidenced from drastic reduction in capillary suction time (≤20 seconds) and specific resistance to filtration (≥90%); however, it requires an adaptability period of 1-2 days. On the other hand, the biogenic flocculant produced by A. ferrooxidans greatly decreased the time-to-filtration and facilitated the dewaterability within 4 h. Results indicate that rapid dewatering of CEPT sludge by biogenic flocculants provides an opportunity to replace the synthetic organic polymer for dewatering.

Characterization of a solvent, surfactant and temperature-tolerant laccase from Pleurotus sp. MAK-II and its dye decolorizing property.

OBJECTIVE: Laccase is industrially important but a major challenge is the production of an ideal laccase with suitable physicochemical properties to tolerate temperature, surfactants, metal ions and solvents towards its potential application in bioremediation. RESULTS: A laccase with a molecular mass of 43 kDa was purified from Pleurotus sp. MAK-II. It was optimally active at pH 4.5 and 60 °C using ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) as substrate. The laccase was susceptible to NaN3 and NaCN. Activity was strongly enhanced by Cu(2+), Mg(2+) and Ca(2+). The purified laccase showed stability towards various surfactants and solvents and decolorized, in the presence of violuric acid as redox mediator, the diazo dye Congo Red and the anthraquinone dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R to the extent of 96 and 72 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ideal physicochemical properties of Pleurotus sp. MAK-II-derived laccase suggest that it could be effectively used in the textile dye industry.

Influence of ferrous ions on extracellular polymeric substances content and sludge dewaterability during bioleaching.

Pretreatment of activated sludge with sulfuric acid and bioleaching using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans along with addition of Fe(2+) on sludge dewaterability was investigated. The sludge dewatering efficiency in terms of capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistant to filtration (SRF) was increased with a decrease in sludge pH. A pH of 2.67 was found to be optimum for dewatering, at which 81% and 63% reduction of CST and SRF were achieved, respectively. The dewaterability of sludge was enhanced after the addition of Fe(2+) and A. ferrooxidans. Ideal concentration of Fe(2+) was 2 g/L for sludge dewaterability, which showed 96% and 88% reduction in CST and SRF, respectively. In the control sludge, maximum part of the biopolymeric macromolecules was contributing by the tightly bound extracellular polymeric substances (TB-EPS). At optimum Fe(2+) concentration, total EPS was reduced by 73%, enhancing sludge dewaterability. Bioleaching conducted by A. ferrooxidans could solubilized 88% Cu and 99% Zn within 120 h.

Effects of inorganic nanoparticles on viability and catabolic activities of Agrobacterium sp. PH-08 during biodegradation of dibenzofuran.

This study investigated the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and growth inhibition effects of four different inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) such as aluminum (nAl), iron (nFe), nickel (nNi), and zinc (nZn) on a dibenzofuran (DF) degrading bacterium Agrobacterium sp. PH-08. NP (0-1,000 mg L(-1)) -treated bacterial cells were assessed for cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, growth and biodegradation activities at biochemical and molecular levels. In an aqueous system, the bacterial cells treated with nAl, nZn and nNi at 500 mg L(-1) showed significant reduction in cell viability (30-93.6 %, p < 0.05), while nFe had no significant inhibition on bacterial cell viability. In the presence of nAl, nZn and nNi, the cells exhibited elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA damage and cell death. Furthermore, NP exposure showed significant (p < 0.05) impairment in DF and catechol biodegradation activities. The reduction in DF biodegradation was ranged about 71.7-91.6 % with single NPs treatments while reached up to 96.3 % with a mixture of NPs. Molecular and biochemical investigations also clearly revealed that NP exposure drastically affected the catechol-2,3-dioxygenase activities and its gene (c23o) expression. However, no significant inhibition was observed in nFe treatment. The bacterial extracellular polymeric materials and by-products from DF degradation can be assumed as key factors in diminishing the toxic effects of NPs, especially for nFe. This study clearly demonstrates the impact of single and mixed NPs on the microbial catabolism of xenobiotic-degrading bacteria at biochemical and molecular levels. This is the first study on estimating the impact of mixed NPs on microbial biodegradation.

Enhanced dewaterability of anaerobically digested sewage sludge using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans culture as sludge conditioner.

Role of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans culture in bioacidification and dewaterability of anaerobically digested sewage sludge (ADS) was investigated. A. ferrooxidans culture grown in 9K medium along with Fe(2+) produced iron flocculant containing, secondary iron minerals and biopolymeric substances as confirmed by FT-IR, XRD, and SEM-EDX. Bioacidification of ADS was performed using 10% (v/v) A. ferrooxidans culture, isolated cells and cell-free culture filtrate; and dewaterability was assessed using the capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF). Isolated bacterial cells significantly (P<0.05) reduced the sludge dewaterability when supplemented with Fe(2+) while the whole culture and cell-free filtrate rapidly acidified the sludge without Fe(2+) and showed significant reduction of CST (71.3-73.5%) and SRF (84-88%). Results clearly indicated that the culture and filtrate of the A. ferrooxidans facilitated rapid sludge dewaterability while the cells supplemented with Fe(2+) also enhanced dewaterability but required 2-4 days.

Flocculation and dewaterability of chemically enhanced primary treatment sludge by bioaugmentation with filamentous fungi.

In this study, filamentous fungal strains isolated from sewage sludge bioleached with iron-oxidizing bacteria were evaluated their effectiveness in improving the flocculation and dewaterability of chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) sludge. Augmentation of the pre-grown mycelial biomass in the CEPT sludge had no significant changes in sludge pH but, improved sludge dewaterability, as evidenced from the decrease in capillary suction time. Improvement on sludge flocculation and dewaterability depended on the fungal strains, and a pellet forming Penicillium sp. was more effective than the fungal isolates producing filamentous form of mycelial biomass due to entrapment of sludge solids onto mycelial pellets. Fungal treatment also reduced the chemical oxygen demand of the CEPT sludge by 35-76%. Supplementation metal cations (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Fe(3+)) to fungal pre-augmented sludge rapidly improved the sludge dewaterability. This study indicates that augmentation of selective fungal biomass can be a potential method for CEPT sludge flocculation and dewaterability.

WITHDRAWN: Fate of extracellular polymeric substances during flocculation of anaerobically digested sludge using biogenic flocculant.

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Detoxification of malachite green by Pleurotus florida laccase produced under solid-state fermentation using agricultural residues.

Laccase was produced from Pleurotus florida under solid-state fermentation, and the production was optimized by response surface methodology. The predicted maximum laccase production of 8.81 U g(-1) was obtained by the optimum concentration of malt extract, banana peel, wheat bran and CuSO4, which was found to be 0.69 g, 10.61 g, 10.68 g and 77.15 ppm, respectively. The validation results suggested that the laccase production was 7.96 U g(-1) in the optimized medium, which was close to the predicted value. Decolorization efficiency of P. florida laccase was evaluated against malachite green (MG). Rapid decolorization of MG dye was observed, and a dark-coloured precipitate was formed in the reaction mixture. HPLC analysis indicated that the laccase enzyme degraded MG by the demethylation process. The toxicity of MG was reduced to 67% after the treatment with laccase, which was confirmed by a phytotoxicity study.

Coupling microbial catabolic actions with abiotic redox processes: a new recipe for persistent organic pollutant (POP) removal.

The continuous release of toxic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) into the environment has raised a need for effective cleanup methods. The tremendous natural diversity of microbial catabolic mechanisms suggests that catabolic routes may be applied to the remediation of POP-contaminated fields. A large number of the recalcitrant xenobiotics have been shown to be removable via the natural catabolic mechanisms of microbes, and detailed biochemical studies of the catabolic methods, together with the development of sophisticated genetic engineering, have led to the use of synthetic microbes for the bioremediation of POPs. However, the steric effects of substituted halogen moieties, microbe toxicity, and the low bioavailability of POPs still deteriorate the efficiency of removal strategies based on natural and synthetic catabolic mechanisms. Recently, abiotic redox processes that induce rapid reductive dehalogenation, hydroxyl radical-based oxidation, or electron shuttling have been reasonably coupled with microbial catabolic actions, thereby compensating for the drawbacks of biotic processes in POP removal. In this review, we first compare the pros and cons of individual methodologies (i.e., the natural and synthetic catabolism of microbes and the abiotic processes involving zero-valent irons, advanced oxidation processes, and small organic stimulants) for POP removal. We then highlight recent trends in coupling the biotic-abiotic methodologies and discuss how the processes are both feasible and superior to individual methodologies for POP cleanup. Cost-effective and environmentally sustainable abiotic redox actions could enhance the microbial bioremediation potential for POPs.