Improved sulfur autotrophic denitrification using supplementary bovine serum albumin.

Excess nitrate presented in natural water body and drinking water has been a challenge for maintaining safe ecosystem and human health. Sulfur autotrophic denitrification is proved a feasible technology to remove nitrate from water environment. However, comparatively low rate of sulfur autotrophic denitrification needs to be addressed before wide application of this technology, which is a result of the low solubility of elemental sulfur. Therefore, this study employed bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a supplementary material to modify the elemental sulfur for improved sulfur autotrophic denitrification rate. Artificial biofilm of Thiobacillus denitrificans was prepared and employed in experiments. By testing different amount of BSA applied in both elemental sulfur and the biofilm, including 1 %, 2 % and 4 % mass ratios, it was found that larger employment of BSA had significant effect in increasing the denitrification rate. Particularly when 4 % BSA was added into elemental sulfur, the highest denitrification rate reached 26.8 mg-N/(L·d), 3.7 times of the control group. Meanwhile, the largest reaction rate constant was achieved, 4.13 mg0.5/(L0.5·d), 2.78 times of the control group. This effect was attributed to promoted conversion of elemental sulfur to polysulfide that was easily utilized by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. A long-term operation (14 days) of packed bed reactor filled with sulfur particles and 1 % BSA delivered a much faster start-up than the control and outperformed it with better denitrification performance all-through the experiment. This result evidenced again that BSA could make a highly effective supplement in sulfur autotrophic denitrification.

Nitrate Capture Investigation in Plasma-Activated Water and Its Antifungal Effect on Cryptococcus pseudolongus Cells.

This research investigated the capture of nitrate by magnesium ions in plasma-activated water (PAW) and its antifungal effect on the cell viability of the newly emerged mushroom pathogen Cryptococcus pseudolongus. Optical emission spectra of the plasma jet exhibited several emission bands attributable to plasma-generated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The plasma was injected directly into deionized water (DW) with and without an immersed magnesium block. Plasma treatment of DW produced acidic PAW. However, plasma-activated magnesium water (PA-Mg-W) tended to be neutralized due to the reduction in plasma-generated hydrogen ions by electrons released from the zero-valent magnesium. Optical absorption and Raman spectra confirmed that nitrate ions were the dominant reactive species in the PAW and PA-Mg-W. Nitrate had a concentration-dependent antifungal effect on the tested fungal cells. We observed that the free nitrate content could be controlled to be lower in the PA-Mg-W than in the PAW due to the formation of nitrate salts by the magnesium ions. Although both the PAW and PA-Mg-W had antifungal effects on C. pseudolongus, their effectiveness differed, with cell viability higher in the PA-Mg-W than in the PAW. This study demonstrates that the antifungal effect of PAW could be manipulated using nitrate capture. The wide use of plasma therapy for problematic fungus control is challenging because fungi have rigid cell wall structures in different fungal groups.

Organic mercury solid phase chemoselective capture for proteomic identification of S-nitrosated proteins and peptides.

Cysteine S-nitrosation mediates NO signaling and protein function under pathophysiological conditions. Herein, we provide a detailed protocol regarding the organic mercury chemoselective enrichment of S-nitrosated proteins and peptides. We discuss key aspects of the enrichment strategy and provide technical tips for the best performance of the experimental protocol.

Assessment of Nitrate Removal Capacity of Two Selected Eukaryotic Green Microalgae.

Eutrophication is a leading problem in water bodies all around the world in which nitrate is one of the major contributors. The present study was conducted to study the effects of various concentrations of nitrate on two eukaryotic green microalgae, Chlamydomonas sp. MACC-216 and Chlorella sp. MACC-360. For this purpose, both microalgae were grown in a modified tris-acetate-phosphate medium (TAP-M) with three different concentrations of sodium nitrate, i.e., 5 mM (TAP-M5), 10 mM (TAP-M10) and 15 mM (TAP-M15), for 6 days and it was observed that both microalgae were able to remove nitrate completely from the TAP-M5 medium. Total amount of pigments decreased with the increasing concentration of nitrate, whereas protein and carbohydrate contents remained unaffected. High nitrate concentration (15 mM) led to an increase in lipids in Chlamydomonas sp. MACC-216, but not in Chlorella sp. MACC-360. Furthermore, Chlamydomonas sp. MACC-216 and Chlorella sp. MACC-360 were cultivated for 6 days in synthetic wastewater (SWW) with varying concentrations of nitrate where both microalgae grew well and showed an adequate nitrate removal capacity.

Biofilm characterization in removal of total chemical oxygen demand and nitrate from wastewater using draft tube spouted bed reactor.

The present paper investigates the effect of dilution rate on the removal of total chemical oxygen demand and nitrate in the draft tube spouted bed reactor and morphological characteristics of biofilms formed by microorganisms of mixed culture on granular activated carbon (GAC). The nitrate and total chemical oxygen demand (COD) decreased from 97 to 81% and 95% to 87% respectively with increase in dilution rate from 0.6/h to 1.5/h showing that residence time in the reactor governs the nitrate and total COD reduction efficiency. Lower dilution rates favor higher production of biomass and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). It was observed that the nitrate and total COD reduction rate increased with time along with simultaneous increase in EPS production. Thus, the performance of a reactor in terms of dynamic and steady-state biofilm characteristics associated with nitrate and organic reduction is a strong function of dilution rate. Hence these findings indicate that a draft tube spouted bed reactor is capable of simultaneously reducing total organics and nitrogen in industrial/municipal wastewater, as this reactor possesses two distinct regions aerobic and anoxic conditions which can prevail in different parts of a reactor.

Supported Biofilms on Carbon-Oxide Composites for Nitrate Reduction in Agricultural Waste Water.

Escherichia coli colonies were grown on different supports for the removal of nitrates from water. A carbon material and different commercial metal oxides, such as SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3, and their corresponding carbon-metal oxide composites were studied. The physicochemical properties were analyzed by different techniques and the results were correlated with their performance in the denitrification process. Developed biofilms effectively adhere to the supports and always reach the complete reduction of nitrates to gaseous products. Nevertheless, faster processes occur when the biofilm is supported on mesoporous and non-acid materials (carbon and silica).

Study on reaction mechanism and Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model of catalytic denitrification by Fe0 and bimetallic catalyst.

The focus of this research was on the catalytic reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas for the water conservation. Zero-valent iron (Fe0) with bimetallic catalyst that carrier supported palladium (Pd) and copper (Cu) was innovatively applied in this study. First, XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analyses and experiments were conducted to study the mechanism of the catalytic reduction of nitrate. In the catalytic reaction, which is regarded as a stepwise process, Fe0 was the electron provider; Pd and Cu supported on carrier played indispensable but distinct roles. The kinetics suggested that the process was better reflected by first-order kinetics of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. Additionally, first-order kinetics of the catalytic reaction under the effect of catalysts with different carriers (SiO2, silica gel, kaolin, diatomite, γ-Al2O3, graphene) were further studied. Pd-Cu/graphene catalyst showed higher catalytic performance compared with other catalysts.

Fabrication of hybrid chitosan encapsulated magnetic-kaolin beads for adsorption of phosphate and nitrate ions from aqueous solutions.

Phosphate and nitrate are commonly used industrial and agricultural nutrients that are of great anxiety because of their ubiquitous existence in water and wastewater sources and association with harmful health effects. Herein, we aimed to fabricate a novel and environmental-friendly chitosan encapsulated magnetic kaolin beads for the first time and applied for the adsorption of phosphate and nitrate ions from water. The physico-chemical properties of MK-chitosan beads were established by XRD, FTIR, and TGA-DSC techniques. Surface area (BET) analysis shows that MK-chitosan beads have a specific surface area of 2.12 m2/g. Surface morphology and elemental studies (SEM and EDAX) revealed the porous nature of MK-chitosan beads. The synthesized bead material employed as selective and effective adsorbent material for the remediation of phosphate and nitrate from water/ wastewater. The impact of external adsorption influencing effects likes, adsorbent dose, contact time, co-anions, pH of the solution, and temperature experiments have been performed. Adsorption isotherm and kinetic experiments have been studied and the data have been well tailored by the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Thermodynamic parametric studies revealed endothermic and spontaneous nature of the overall sorption system. Besides, MK-chitosan beads were found to regeneration performance up to eight consecutive cycles. Furthermore, the adsorbent-adsorbate system implying that MK-chitosan beads could be a promising candidate for the removal of phosphate and nitrate ions from aqueous solutions.

Maximizing US nitrate removal through wetland protection and restoration.

Growing populations and agricultural intensification have led to raised riverine nitrogen (N) loads, widespread oxygen depletion in coastal zones (coastal hypoxia)1 and increases in the incidence of algal blooms.Although recent work has suggested that individual wetlands have the potential to improve water quality2-9, little is known about the current magnitude of wetland N removal at the landscape scale. Here we use National Wetland Inventory data and 5-kilometre grid-scale estimates of N inputs and outputs to demonstrate that current N removal by US wetlands (about 860 ± 160 kilotonnes of nitrogen per year) is limited by a spatial disconnect between high-density wetland areas and N hotspots. Our model simulations suggest that a spatially targeted increase in US wetland area by 10 per cent (5.1 million hectares) would double wetland N removal. This increase would provide an estimated 54 per cent decrease in N loading in nitrate-affected watersheds such as the Mississippi River Basin. The costs of this increase in area would be approximately 3.3 billion US dollars annually across the USA-nearly twice the cost of wetland restoration on non-agricultural, undeveloped land-but would provide approximately 40 times more N removal. These results suggest that water quality improvements, as well as other types of ecosystem services such as flood control and fish and wildlife habitat, should be considered when creating policy regarding wetland restoration and protection.

[High efficient assimilation of NO3⁻-N with coproduction of microalgal proteins by Chlorella pyrenoidosa].

The aim of this study was to establish a novel technology using microalgae for NO3⁻ removal from high concentration wastewater and conversion to algal proteins. The effects of cultivation modes and illumination modes on the biomass yield, NO3⁻ assimilation rate and algal protein yield were first investigated in shaking flasks for mixotrophic cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, and subsequently the scale-up verification in 5-L photo fermenter was successfully conducted. Fed-batch cultivation without medium recycling was the best cultivation mode in shaking flask system, in which the highest biomass yield (35.95 g/L), the average NO3⁻ assimilation rate (2.06 g/(L·d)) and algal protein content (up to 42.44% of dry weight) were achieved. By using a staged increase of light intensity as illumination modes, the specific growth rate of cells could be significantly promoted to the highest (0.65 d⁻¹). After a 128-hour continuous cultivation in a 5-L photo fermenter, the highest biomass yield and the average NO3⁻ assimilation rate were reached to 66.22 g/L and 4.38 g/(L·d) respectively, with the highest algal protein content at 47.13% of dry weight. Our study could provide a photo fermentation technology of microalgae for highly efficient treatment of waste industrial nitric acid and/or high concentration nitrate wastewater. This microalgae-based bioconversion process could coproduce protein-rich microalgal biomass, which facilitates the resource utilization of these type wastewater by trash-to-treasure conversion.

Influences of organic nitrogen on the removal of inorganic nitrogen from complicated marine aquaculture water by Marichromatium gracile YL28.

The sediment-water interface is not only an important location for substrate conversion in a mariculture system, but also a major source of eutrophication. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of inorganic nitrogen (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) removal by Marichromatium gracile YL28 in the presence of both organic nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen. The results showed that, in the presence of peptone or urea, seaweed oligosaccharides (SOS) effectively enhanced the ammonia removal capacity of YL28 (6.42 mmol/L) and decreased the residual rate by 54.04% or 8.17%, respectively. With increasing peptone or urea concentrations, the removal of both ammonia and nitrate was gradually inhibited, and the residual rates of ammonia and nitrate reached 22.56-34.36% and 12.03-15.64% in the peptone system and 20.65-24.03% and 12.20-13.21% in the urea system, respectively. However, in the control group the residual rates of ammonia and nitrate reached 11.97% and 5.12%, respectively. In addition, the concentrations of peptone and urea did not affect nitrite removal, and YL28 displayed better cell growth and nitrogen removal activity in the presence of bait and SOS. Overall, the ability of YL28 to remove inorganic nitrogen was enhanced in the presence of organic nitrogen.

Isolation and characterization of denitrifiers from woodchip bioreactors for bioaugmentation application.

AIMS: This study was done to obtain denitrifiers that could be used for bioaugmentation in woodchip bioreactors to remove nitrate from agricultural subsurface drainage water. METHODS AND RESULTS: We isolated denitrifiers from four different bioreactors in Minnesota, and characterized the strains by measuring their denitrification rates and analysing their whole genomes. A total of 206 bacteria were isolated from woodchips and thick biofilms (bioslimes) that formed in the bioreactors, 76 of which were able to reduce nitrate at 15°C. Among those, nine potential denitrifying strains were identified, all of which were isolated from the woodchip samples. Although many nitrate-reducing strains were isolated from the bioslime samples, none were categorized as denitrifiers but instead as carrying out dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. CONCLUSIONS: Among the denitrifiers confirmed by 15 N stable isotope analysis and genome analysis, Cellulomonas cellasea strain WB94 and Microvirgula aerodenitrificans strain BE2.4 appear to be promising for bioreactor bioaugmentation due to their potential for both aerobic and anaerobic denitrification, and the ability of strain WB94 to degrade cellulose. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Denitrifiers isolated in this study could be useful for bioaugmentation application to enhance nitrate removal in woodchip bioreactors.

Adsorptive performance of lanthanum encapsulated biopolymer chitosan-kaolin clay hybrid composite for the recovery of nitrate and phosphate from water.

Nitrate and phosphate are primary pollutants of water/wastewaters for eutrophication and methemoglobinemia diseases, harshly threatening the security of aquatic environments and human health as well as all living beings. The present work investigates the adsorption performance and mechanism of lanthanum encapsulated chitosan-kaolin clay (LCK) hybrid composite was prepared and utilized for the remediation of nitrate and phosphate from water. The fabricated LCK hybrid composite was characterized using XRD, SEM, BET, EDAX, TGA-DTA and FTIR analysis. The removal of nitrate and phosphate onto the LCK composite defined by pseudo-second-order kinetic model whereas the isotherms are described by Freundlich adsorption isotherm model and thermodynamic experiments showed spontaneous and exothermic nature of the adsorption process. Results also demonstrated that the LCK hybrid composite exhibited extremely high nitrate and phosphate adsorption capacity and stability which followed the mechanisms by ion exchange, complexation and electrostatic interactions. Adsorption-desorption experiments revealed that the LCK hybrid composite could be potentially reused with maintaining high adsorption efficiency. This study highlights the novel low-cost, eco-friendly and promising adsorbent for efficient denitrification and dephosphorization from water/ wastewater.

"Removal of nitrate and nitrite by hemodialysis in end-stage renal disease and by sustained low-efficiency dialysis in acute kidney injury".

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE: It is well established that end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality both in the adult and pediatric population. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood, compromised nitric oxide (NO) bioactivity has been suggested as a contributing factor. With this in mind, we investigated the effects of hemodialysis on NO homeostasis and bioactivity in blood. METHODS & RESULTS: Plasma and dialysate samples were obtained before and after hemodialysis sessions from adults (n = 33) and pediatric patients (n = 10) with ESRD on chronic renal replacement therapy, and from critically ill adults with acute kidney injury (n = 12) at their first sustained low-efficiency dialysis session. Levels of nitrate, nitrite, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and amino acids relevant for NO homeostasis were analyzed. We consistently found that nitrate and cGMP levels in plasma were significantly reduced after hemodialysis, whereas post-dialysis nitrite and amino acids coupled to NO synthase activity (i.e., arginine and citrulline) were only significantly reduced in adults with ESRD. The amount of excreted nitrate and nitrite during dialysis were similar to daily endogenous levels that would be expected from endothelial NO synthase activity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that hemodialysis significantly reduces circulating levels of nitrate and cGMP, indicating that this medical procedure may impair NO synthesis and potentially NO signaling pathways.

Pseudomonas sp. AOB-7 utilizes PHA granules as a sustained-release carbon source and biofilm carrier for aerobic denitrification of aquaculture water.

Nitrate accumulation causes long-time threat to aquatic animals in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS); thus, nitrate removal is also required in RASs. However, the lack of carbon sources makes denitrification difficult to function. Nitrate removal performance of an aerobic denitrifying and extracellular polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerase-producing bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. AOB-7, using polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) granules as a solid sustained-release carbon source in RAS was evaluated. With the initial nitrate-N concentration of 140 mg/L, the high denitrification rates of 0.056 g NO3--N L-1 day-1 and 0.035 g NO3--N L-1 day-1 were achieved in denitrification medium containing poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), respectively. Significant erosions and pits formed on the surface of the granules made them a good biofilm carrier for AOB-7, and 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB) monomer was the major product released to aquatic phase, which was benefit to animals. SEM photos showed that AOB-7 entered and attached on the inside of the PHA particle holes. A 4-week application trial was conducted to reveal the effects of PHB (AOB-7) denitrifying agent and 3-HB produced on growth of zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) by adding 0.1% (w/v) PHB (AOB-7) denitrifying agent. Result indicated that PHB (AOB-7) denitrifying agent can significantly reduce nitrate-N content in RASs. Compared with the control group, feed coefficient ratio reduced by 18% and weight gain ratio increased by 29% in the PHB (AOB-7) denitrifying agent group. 3-HB monomer produced during the denitrification was speculated to function as a prebiotic and promote zebrafish growth. KEY POINTS: • AOB-7 showed a good aerobic denitrifying ability on PHA granules as sustained-release C source. • PHB (AOB-7) denitrifying agent can significantly reduce nitrate content in RAS. • R-3-HB monomer was the major product released to aquatic phase and function as a prebiotic.

Highly efficient nitrate reduction driven by an electrocoagulation system: An electrochemical and molecular mechanism.

Electrotrophic denitrification is suitable for nitrate removal in aqueous environments where bioavailable electron donors are limited such as in urban polluted water. Herein, a novel microbial denitrifying electrocoagulation cell (MDECC) with an Fe anode and an electrotrophic denitrifying biocathode was constructed. Nitrate reduction was verified relying solely on the electrons originated from the electrolysis process at the Fe anode. In situ generated coagulant at the anode was utilized to effectively flocculate and precipitate pollutants as well as naturally occurring components. Nitrate reduction by the biocathode showed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a maximum NO3--N removal rate of 67 ± 7 g m-3 d-1 and a total nitrogen (TN) removal rate of 39 ± 6 g m-3 d-1. Mechanistic research demonstrated that the system achieved highest current efficiency and denitrification enzyme activity at an initial NO3--N concentration (IC-N) of 100 mg L-1. Further pyrosequencing evidenced that higher initial NO3--N concentration increased the abundance of denitrifiers on biocathode. Correlation analysis indicated that nitrate reductase (NAR) and nitrite reductase (NIR) activities were crucial for NO3--N and TN removal. The metal anode was a promising alternative for providing electrons for electrotrophic denitrification and pollutant elimination.

Role of heterotrophic aerobic denitrifying bacteria in nitrate removal from wastewater.

With the increase in industrial and agricultural activities, a large amount of nitrogenous compounds are released into the environment, leading to nitrate pollution. The perilous effects of nitrate present in the environment pose a major threat to human and animal health. Bioremediation provides a cost-effective and environmental friendly method to deal with this problem. The process of aerobic denitrification can reduce nitrate compounds to harmless dinitrogen gas. This review provides a brief view of the exhaustive role played by aerobic denitrifiers for tackling nitrate pollution under different ecological niches and their dependency on various environmental parameters. It also provides an understanding of the enzymes involved in aerobic denitrification. The role of aerobic denitrification to solve the issues faced by the conventional method (aerobic nitrification-anaerobic denitrification) in treating nitrogen-polluted wastewaters is elaborated.

Efficient and synergistic decolourization and nitrate removal using a single-chamber with a coupled biocathode-photoanode system.

With the continuous development of the chemical industries, synergistic removal of carbon and nitrogen contaminants has drawn much attention. In this work, a novel strategy for the synergistic removal of methyl orange (MO) and nitrate was developed in a single reactor by combining a TiO2/g-C3N4 nanosheet/graphene photoanode and denitrifying biofilm cathode. Under xenon light illumination, the photocatalytic MO decolorization rate exceeded 90% (the initial concentration of MO was as high as 100 mg·L-1) with a biocathode potential bias of -0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl; additionally, the decolourization rate apparently followed first-order kinetics with a constant of 0.11 ± 0.02 h-1. The improved MO decolourization rate was mainly because the biocathode effectively enhanced the charge separation of the photogenerated charge at the TiO2/g-C3N4 nanosheet/graphene photoanode interface. In the meantime, the effluent nitrate was lower than 1 mg·N·L-1 at a biocathode potential of -0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl. The results indicated that the coupled biocathode-photoanode system could serve the purpose of simultaneously degrading MO and accomplishing nitrate reduction. Considering the sustainability of sunlight and the use of a biocathode, the coupled biocathode-photoanode system is a promising alternative for the simultaneous removal of biorefractory organics and nitrate.

In-situ fabrication of zirconium entrenched biopolymeric hybrid membrane for the removal of toxic anions from aqueous medium.

The eutrophication of water bodies resulting from the excessive amounts of phosphate and nitrate ions in the water systems will cause serious environmental problems. This study deals with the adsorptive removal of toxic anions from aqueous medium using zirconium entrenched chitosan-starch membrane (Zr-CS-ST). The optimization of several influencing key factors like adsorbent dosage, shaking time, solution pH, aggressive ions, zero point charge and temperature were examined by batch mode adsorption experiments. In addition, Freundlich isotherm model showed an outstanding fit with the experimental data's, yielding the maximum adsorption capacities of 86.28 and 70.88 mg/g for phosphate and nitrate, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters, including the Gibbs free energy, entropy and enthalpy change indicated that the removal of both anions by Zr-CS-ST membrane was feasible, spontaneity and endothermic in nature. The diffusion and reaction based kinetic models were exposed to study about the kinetics and adsorption process were followed by pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion kinetic models. The removal mechanism involved by different types of interactions such as complexation, ion exchange and electrostatic interaction, which were adopted for the removal mechanisms. We exposed that, Zr-CS-ST was successfully developed and will be effectively employed for the remediation of phosphate and nitrate ions in field/practical applications.

Effects of carbon nanotube on denitrification performance of Alcaligenes sp. TB: Promotion of electron generation, transportation and consumption.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) promote biodegradation in water treatment, but the effect of MWCNT on denitrification under aerobic conditions is still unclear. This investigation focused on the denitrification performance of MWCNT and its toxic effects on Alcaligenes sp. TB which showed that 30 mg/L MWCNTs increased NO3- removal efficiency from 84% to 100% and decreased the NO2-and N2O accumulation rates by 36% and 17.5%, respectively. Nitrite reductase and nitrous oxide reductase activities were further increased by 19.5% and 7.5%, respectively. The mechanism demonstrated that electron generation (NADH yield) and electron transportation system activity increased by 14.5% and 104%, respectively. Cell membrane analysis found that MWCNT caused an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which had positive effects on electron transportation and membrane fluidity at a low concentration of 96 mg/kg but caused membrane lipid peroxidation and impaired membrane integrity at a high concentration of 115 mg/L. These findings confirmed that MWCNT affects the activity of Alcaligenes sp. TB and consequently enhances denitrification performance.