Exploring the variations in molecular characteristics of dissolved organic matter driven by aquaculture types.

In recent decades, global aquaculture has expanded rapidly, raising concerns about coastal environmental degradation due to unregulated or poorly regulated discharge of aquaculture tailwater. Despite the crucial role of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in biogeochemical processes and aquatic biodiversity, the influence of aquaculture type on the molecular characteristics of DOM remains largely unexplored. Herein, this study investigated the variations in chemical and spectroscopic properties as well as molecular characteristics and composition of DOM across different aquaculture types including crustacean, fish and shellfish. Our findings revealed notable differences in DOM quantities among different aquaculture types, with crustacean and fish aquaculture water containing higher DOM amount compared to shellfish aquaculture water. This disparity can be attributed to the more frequent formulated feeds of crustacean and fish in contrast to shellfish aquaculture. Furthermore, distinct differences were also observed in the characteristics and composition of DOM among the different aquaculture waters. Specifically, DOM in shellfish aquaculture water exhibited a higher abundance of unsaturated and reduced molecules as well as increased aromaticity compared to the other two aquaculture waters. Conversely, DOM from fish aquaculture water showed a greater contribution from terrestrial origin characterized by elevated levels of plant-based components such as lignin-like and tannin-like compounds. Interestingly, DOM from shellfish aquaculture water contained lower levels of microbial-derived components such as lipid-like and protein-like compounds, likely due to reduced microorganism populations resulting from lower nutrients availability and higher salinity. Overall, these significant variations in characteristics and composition of DOM underscore the potential impacts of aquaculture type on the DOM biogeochemical cycle and the environmental quality in aquatic ecosystems.

[Analysis of Regional Differences in Cadmium Ecological Risk in Surface Waters of the Yangtze River Basin].

This study primarily focused on the regional disparities in both water quality criteria and ecological risks attributed to cadmium presence within the surface waters of the Yangtze River Basin. In the initial phase, the long-term water quality criteria for cadmium were recalibrated in accordance with the guidelines outlined in China's "Water Quality Criteria for Freshwater Aquatic Organisms-Cadmium," accounting for the prevalent hardness distribution within the Yangtze River Basin's surface water. Subsequently, a more refined revision was undertaken considering the specific characteristics of the species residing within the Yangtze River Basin. This undertaking led to a comprehensive interpretation of the regional variations in both the distribution of long-term water quality criteria values and the risk quotient distribution of cadmium throughout the Yangtze River Basin. The incorporation of hardness and species-specific attributes resulted in a revised range of long-term water quality criteria for cadmium across different urban locales within the Yangtze River Basin. Notably, the recalibrated values ranged from 0.08 µg·L-1 as the lowest threshold to 0.75 µg·L-1 as the upper limit, signifying a tenfold differentiation. Correspondingly, the urban average annual risk quotient associated with cadmium exposure demonstrated a variation from 0.035 to 1.12, marking a significant 32-fold discrepancy between the lowest and highest values. It is essential to highlight that regions of paramount importance, such as the confluence area connecting the upper and middle stretches of the Yangtze River Basin and the intricate Dongting Lake system, exhibited noteworthy ecological risks attributed to cadmium presence. Consequently, further in-depth investigations into these critical regions are imperative for a comprehensive understanding of the associated risks.

[Evaluation Parameters and System for Reclaimed Water Quality Stability].

Wastewater reclamation and reuse are an effective measure to alleviate water shortages. Water quality stability is the premise for safe utilization of reclaimed water and other water resources. Stable water quality can prevent the frequent occurrence of corrosion and scaling, which not only improves the sensory properties of water quality but also reduces secondary pollution and energy consumption. In order to promote the utilization of wastewater resources, it is important to evaluate and manage reclaimed water quality stability. Based on substantial literature and research, the characteristics and scopes of evaluation parameters for both chemical stability and biological stability were summarized, and a set of evaluation parameters and a system for reclaimed water quality stability were comprehensively established in this study. The evaluation procedure was mainly divided into four steps including:① determine the influencing factors of reclaimed water quality stability; ② select corresponding evaluation parameters based on reclaimed water quality characteristics, the materials of pipelines, and equipment; ③ evaluate the reclaimed water quality stability; and ④ examine whether the evaluation results were appropriate. Finally, the potential challenges for the stability evaluation of water quality were analyzed. This study is expected to provide a theoretical foundation for the scientific evaluation of water quality stability and safe utilization of reclaimed water.

[Key Problems and Novel Strategy of Controlling Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants During Municipal Wastewater Reclamation].

Emerging trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) have been ubiquitously detected in municipal wastewater. TOrCs show low concentrations but are usually harmful to aquatic biota and recalcitrant to treatments. The advanced treatment of TOrCs is challenged by four main aspects. First, it is hard to qualify the chemical structure and concentrations of TOrCs, which are typically very low. Second, risk assessment results vary with the selection of target-species and toxicity-endpoints, which makes it hard to regulate priority lists and concentration limits. Third, TOrCs account for less than 0.01% of the total organics in wastewater. Thus, TOrCs cannot be selectively and efficiently removed by conventional treatments. Fourth, it is hard to optimize and manage the treatment trains of TOrCs. In this manuscript, a new strategy combing non-targeting TOrC screening and TOrC "fingerprinting" are proposed to overcome the difficulties of quantification and treatment optimization. Based on this, the standards and regulations to control the TOrCs in reclaimed water should be developed on the basis of elimination efficiency rather than concentration.

Screening and estimating of toxicity formation with photobacterium bioassay during chlorine disinfection of wastewater.

Reclamation and reuse of wastewater is one of the most effective ways to alleviate water shortage. Disinfection plays a key role in killing the harmful pathogens in reclaimed water, while an unwanted side effect is the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). Recently, a number of researches have been conducted on the formation regularities of certain DBPs. However, with current physiochemical techniques, it is impossible to detect all the DBPs. In this study, photobacterium bioassay was used to measure the formation of DBPs and their toxic effect as a whole. The effects of water quality characteristics and operational conditions on the toxicity formation during wastewater chlorination disinfection process were evaluated. A statistical model, depending on chlorine disinfectant dosage, concentration of ammonia nitrogen, and concentration of dissolved organic carbon, was developed to quantitatively estimate the toxicity formation during the disinfection process. It was found that the toxicity of the wastewater samples was positively correlated with chlorine disinfectant dosage, concentration of dissolved organic carbon and UV absorbance at 254nm, while negatively correlated with concentration of ammonia nitrogen.

[Toxicity tests and their application in safety assessment of water quality].

The safety of water quality has important impacts not only on the health of ecological system, but also on the survival and development of human beings. The conventional assessment methods for water quality based on the concentration limits are not reliable. The toxicity tests can vividly reflect the whole adverse biological effects of multiple chemicals in water body, which has been regarded as a necessary supplement for conventional water quality assessment methods based on physicochemical parameters. Considering the chemical pollutants usually have various adverse biological effects, the ecotoxicity testing methods, including lethality, genotoxicity, endocrine disrupting effects, were classified according to the different toxicity types. Then, the potential applications of toxicity testing methods and corresponding evaluation indices in evaluating the toxicity characteristics of ambient water samples were discussed. Particularly, the safety assessment methods for water quality based on the toxicity tests, including potential toxicology, toxicity unit classification system, potential ecotoxic effect probe, and safety assessment of water quality based on toxicity test battery, were summarized. This paper not only systematically reviewed the progress of toxicity tests and their application in safety assessment of water quality, but also provided the scientific basis for the further development in the future.

[Inhibition of aromatics on ammonia-oxidizing activity of sediment].

The inhibition of 24 aromatics on ammonia-oxidizing activity of nitrifying bacteria in sediment was measured. The effects of the kind, number and position of substituted groups on ammonia-oxidizing activity of nitrifying bacteria were discussed. The inhibition of mono-substituted benzenes on ammonia-oxidizing activity of nitrifying bacteria were in order of -OH > -NO2 > -NH2 > -Cl > -CH3 > -H. The position of substituted groups of di-substituted benzenes also affected the inhibition, and the inhibitions of dimethylbenzenes(xylene) were in order of meta-> ortho-> para-. The increase in number of substituted group on benzene-ring enhanced the inhibition of aromatics studied in this study on nitrifying bacteria. There was a linear relationship between inhibition (IC50, mumol.L-1) of aromatics on ammonia-oxidizing activity and total electronegativity (sigma E) of aromatics: lgIC50 = 14.72 - 0.91 sigma E.

[Joint inhibition of benzene and monosubstituted benzenes on ammonia-oxidizing activity of sediment].

The joint inhibitions of benzene and three kinds of monosubstituted benzenes (aniline, phenol and nitrobenzene) on ammonia-oxidizing activity of sediment was investigated in order to study the effects of combined pollutants on nitrification process in the nitrogen cycle. The results showed that the joint inhibiton of 11 different kinds of mixtures, including binary or multi-equitoxic mixtures among benzene, aniline, phenol and nitrobenzene, exhibited different effects on ammonia-oxidizing activity of sediment, among which seven were addictive effect, three were synergistic, and only the mixture of benzene and phenol was antagonism. A conclusion could be made that the addition of nitrobenze to a mixture usually exhibited addictive effect. There was a relationship between the half joint inhibition concentrations (IC50, micromol x L(-1)) of benzene and monosubstituted benzenes on ammonia-oxidizing activity of sediment and the mixed electronegativities (MEs): lgIC50 = 2.197 - 0.236ME. With the increase of mixed electronegativities (MEs), the joint inhibitions of mixtures increased.