Thermal hydrolysis alleviates polyethylene microplastic-induced stress in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.

Microplastics are known to negatively affect anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste activated sludge. However, whether thermal hydrolysis (TH) pretreatment alters the impact of microplastics on sludge AD remains unknown. Herein, the effect of TH on the impact of polyethylene (PE) microplastics in sludge AD was investigated. The results showed that the inhibition of methane production by PE at 100 particles/g total solids (TS) was reduced by 31.4% from 12.1% to 8.3% after TH at 170 °C for 30 min. Mechanism analysis indicated TH reduced the potential for reactive oxygen species production induced by PE, resulting in a 29.1 ± 5.5% reduction in cell viability loss. In addition, additive leaching increased as a result of rapid aging of PE microplastics by TH. Acetyl tri-n-butyl citrate (ATBC) release from PE with 10 and 100 particles/g TS increased 11.5-fold and 8.6-fold after TH to 68.2 ± 5.5 µg/L and 124.0 ± 5.1 µg/L, respectively. ATBC at 124.0 µg/L increased methane production by 21.4%. The released ATBC enriched SBR1031 and Euryarchaeota, which facilitate the degradation of proteins and promote methane production. This study reveals the overestimated impact of PE microplastics in sludge AD and provides new insights into the PE microplastics-induced impact in practical sludge treatment and anaerobic biological processes.

Response surface optimization of sludge dewatering process: synergistic enhancement by ultrasonic, chitosan and sludge-based biochar.

Due to the colloidal stability, the high compressibility and the high hydration of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), it is difficult to efficiently dehydrate sludge. In order to enhance sludge dewatering, the process of ultrasonic (US) cracking, chitosan (CTS) re-flocculation and sludge-based biochar (SBB) skeleton adsorption of water-holding substances to regulate sludge dewaterability was proposed. Based on the response surface method, the prediction model of the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) and sludge cake moisture content (MC) was established. The US cracking time and the dosage of CTS and SBB were optimized. The results showed that the optimal parameters of the three were 5.08 s, 10.1 mg/g dry solids (DS) and 0.477 g/g DS, respectively. Meantime, the SRF and MC were 5.4125 × 1011 m/kg and 76.8123%, which significantly improved the sludge dewaterability. According to the variance analysis, it is found that the fitting degree of SRF and MC model is good, which also confirms that there is significant interaction and synergy between US, CTS and SBB, and the contribution of CTS and SBB is greater. Moreover, the process significantly improves the sludge's calorific value and makes its combustion more durable.

A holistic approach for performance evaluation of wastewater treatment plants: integrating grey water footprint and life cycle impact assessment.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have positive and negative impacts on the environment. Therefore, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) can provide a more holistic framework for performance evaluation than the conventional approach. This study added water footprint (WF) to LCIA and defined ϕ index for accounting for the damage ratio of carbon footprint (CF) to WF. The application of these innovations was verified by comparing the performance of 26 WWTPs. These facilities are located in four different climates in Iran, serve between 1,900 and 980,000 people, and have treatment units like activated sludge, aerated lagoon, and stabilization pond. Here, grey water footprint (GWF) calculated the ecological impacts through typical pollutants. Blue water footprint (BWF) included the productive impacts of wastewater reuse, and CF estimated CO2 emissions from WWTPs. Results showed that GWF was the leading factor. ϕ was 4-7.5% and the average WF of WWTPs was 0.6 m3/ca, which reduced 84%, to 0.1 m³/ca, through wastewater reuse. Here, wastewater treatment and reuse in larger WWTPs, particularly with activated sludge had lower cumulative impacts. Since this method takes more items than the conventional approach, it is recommended for integrated evaluation of WWTPs, mainly in areas where the water-energy nexus is a paradigm for sustainable development.

Influence and mechanism of solids on the air pressure fluctuations on the building drainage system.

The conventional building drainage system was constructed based on the theory of two-phase flow involving water and air. However, the drainage system contained a more intricate three-phase flow, encompassing water, air, and solids, which was relatively overlooked in research. This study addressed the impact of solids on pressure fluctuations, air flow rates, and hydraulic jump fullness within the drainage system, considering three factors: the mass factor, cross-section factor, and viscosity. The investigation was conducted within a single-stack system using both experimental methods and CFD simulations. The findings revealed a positive correlation between both positive and negative pressures and above three factors. The mass factor and the cross-section factor had a more significant impact on the negative pressure of the system. The maximum growth rates of negative pressure extremes under different mass and cross-section factors reached 7.72 and 16.52%, respectively. In contrast, the viscosity of fecal sludge had a slightly higher effect on the positive pressure fluctuation of the drainage system, with the maximum growth rate of positive pressure extremes at 3.41%.

Adsorption of phosphate over a novel magnesium-loaded sludge-based biochar.

The production of sludge-based biochar to recover phosphorus (P) from wastewater and reuse the recovered phosphorus as agricultural fertilizer is a preferred process. This article mainly studied the removal of phosphate (PO4-P) from aqueous solution by synthesizing sludge-based biochar (MgSBC-0.1) from anaerobic fermentation sludge treated with magnesium (Mg)-loading-modification, and compared it with unmodified sludge-based biochar (SBC). The physicochemical properties, adsorption efficiency, and adsorption mechanism of MgSBC-0.1 were studied. The results showed that the surface area of MgSBC-0.1 synthesized increased by 5.57 times. The material surface contained MgO, Mg(OH)2, and CaO nanoparticles. MgSBC-0.1 can effectively remove phosphate in the initial solution pH range of 3.00-7.00, with a fitted maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity of 379.52 mg·g-1. The adsorption conforms to the pseudo second-order kinetics model and Langmuir isotherm adsorption curve. The characterization of the adsorbed composite material revealed the contribution of phosphorus crystal deposition and electrostatic attraction to phosphorus absorption.

Temporal Dynamics and Contribution of Phage Community to the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in a Full-Scale Sludge Anaerobic Digestion Plant.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an important biological resource recovery process, where microorganisms play key roles for material transformation. There has been some knowledge about the prokaryotic community and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in AD, but there has been very limited knowledge of phages. In this study, samples from a full-scale AD plant were collected over 13 months, sequenced, and analyzed for viral and prokaryotic metagenomes. Totally, 3015 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) were detected, mostly assigned to Caudoviricetes. The phage community had faster temporal variation than the prokaryotic community. Warm seasons harbored a higher abundance of both temperate phages and broad host-range phages. Seven ARGs of 6 subtypes were carried by 20 vOTUs, a representative ermT gene was synthesized and expressed, and the resistance activity in the host was examined, confirming the real activity of virus-carried ARGs in the AD process. Some of the ARGs were horizontally transferred between the phage and prokaryotic genomes. However, phage infection was not found to contribute to ARG transfer. This study provided an insight into the ecological patterns of the phage community, confirmed the antibiotic resistance activity of virus-carried ARGs, evaluated the contribution of phages on the ARG prevalence, and laid the foundation for the control strategies of the community and antibiotic resistance in the AD process.

A machine learning approach for predicting and localizing the failure and damage point in sewer networks due to pipe properties.

As a basic infrastructure, sewers play an important role in the innards of every city and town to remove unsanitary water from all kinds of livable and functional spaces. Sewer pipe failures (SPFs) are unwanted and unsafe in many ways, as the disturbance that they cause is undeniable. Sewer pipes meet manholes frequently, unlike water distribution systems, as in sewers, water movement is due to gravity and manholes are needed in every intersection as well as through pipe length. Many studies have been focused on sewer pipe failures and so on, but few investigations have been done to show the effect of manhole proximity on pipe failure. Predicting and localizing the sewer pipe failures is affected by different parameters of sewer pipe properties, such as material, age, slope, and depth of the sewer pipes. This study investigates the applicability of a support vector machine (SVM), a supervised machine learning (ML) algorithm, for the development of a prediction model to predict sewer pipe failures and the effects of manhole proximity. The results show that SVM with an accuracy of 84% can properly approximate the manhole effects on sewer pipe failures.

Applying a Digital Twin and wastewater analysis for robust validation of COVID-19 pandemic forecasts: insights from Catalonia.

Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 spread is challenging due to asymptomatic infections, numerous variants, and population behavior changes from non-pharmaceutical interventions. We developed a Digital Twin model to simulate SARS-CoV-2 evolution in Catalonia. Continuous validation ensures our model's accuracy. Our system uses Catalonia Health Service data to quantify cases, hospitalizations, and healthcare impact. These data may be under-reported due to screening policy changes. To improve our model's reliability, we incorporate data from the Catalan Surveillance Network of SARS-CoV-2 in Sewage (SARSAIGUA). This paper shows how we use sewage data in the Digital Twin validation process to identify discrepancies between model predictions and real-time data. This continuous validation approach enables us to generate long-term forecasts, gain insights into SARS-CoV-2 spread, reassess assumptions, and enhance our understanding of the pandemic's behavior in Catalonia.

Profiling wastewater characteristics in intra-urban catchments using online monitoring stations.

This study aims to investigate the differences in intra-urban catchments with different characteristics through real-time wastewater monitoring. Monitoring stations were installed in three neighbourhoods of Barcelona to measure flow, total chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH, conductivity, temperature, and bisulfide (HS-) for 1 year. Typical wastewater profiles were obtained for weekdays, weekends, and holidays in the summer and winter seasons. The results reveal differences in waking up times and evening routines, commuting behaviour during weekends and holidays, and water consumption. The pollutant profiles contribute to a better understanding of pollution generation in households and catchment activities. Flows and COD correlate well at all stations, but there are differences in conductivity and HS- at the station level. The article concludes by discussing the operational experience of the monitoring stations.

Microplastics' toxic effects and influencing factors on microorganisms in biological wastewater treatment units.

Prior to entering the water body, microplastics (MPs) are mostly collected at the sewage treatment plant and the biological treatment unit is the sewage treatment facility's central processing unit. This review aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the detrimental impacts of MPs on the biological treatment unit of a sewage treatment plant and it covers how MPs harm the effluent quality of biological treatment processes. The structure of microbial communities is altered by MPs presence and additive release, which reduces functional microbial activity. Extracellular polymers, oxidative stress, and enzyme activity are explored as micro views on the harmful mechanism of MPs on microorganisms, examining the toxicity of additives released by MPs and the harm caused to microorganisms by harmful compounds that have been adsorbed in the aqueous environment. This article offers a theoretical framework for a thorough understanding of the potential problems posed by MPs in sewage treatment plants and suggests countermeasures to mitigate those risks to the aquatic environment.

Bibliometric analysis of global performance and trends of research on combined sewer overflows (CSOs) from 1990 to 2022.

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are one of the main sources of pollution in urban water systems and significantly impede the restoration of water body functionalities within urban rivers and lakes. To understand the research and frontier trends of CSOs comprehensively and systematically, a visual statistical analysis of the literature related to CSOs in the Web of Science core database from 1990 to 2022 was conducted using the bibliometric method using HistCite Pro and VOSviewer. The results reveal a total of 1,209 pertinent publications related to CSOs from 1990 to 2022, and the quantity of CSOs-related publications indicated an increasing trend. Investigations of the distribution and fate of typical pollutants in CSOs and their ecological effects on receiving waters and studies on pollution control technologies (source reduction, process control, and end-of-pipe treatment) are the current focus of CSOs research. CSOs pollution control technologies based on source reduction and the monitoring and control of emerging contaminants are at the forefront of scientific investigations on CSOs. This study systematically and comprehensively summarized current research topics and future research directions of CSOs, thus providing a reference for CSOs control and water environment management research.

Optimizing start-up strategies for the two-inflow nitritation/anammox process: Influence on biofilm microbial community composition.

Low-energy nitrogen removal from ammonium-rich wastewater is crucial in preserving the water environment. A one-stage nitritation/anammox process with two inflows treating ammonium-containing wastewater, supplied from inside and outside the wound filter, is expected to stably remove nitrogen. Laboratory-scale reactors were operated using different start-up strategies; the first involved adding nitritation inoculum after anammox biomass formation in the filter, which presented a relatively low nitrogen removal rate (0.171 kg N/m3 · d), at a nitrogen loading rate of 1.0 kg N/m3 · d. Conversely, the second involved the gradual cultivation of anammox and nitritation microorganisms, which increased the nitrogen removal rate (0.276 kg N/m3 · d). Furthermore, anammox (Candidatus Brocadia) and nitritation bacteria (Nitrosomonadaceae) coexisted in the biofilm formed on the filter surface. The abundance of nitritation bacteria (10.5%) in the reactor biofilm using the second start-up strategy was higher than that using the first (3.7%). Thus, the two-inflow nitritation/anammox process effectively induced habitat segregation using a suitable start-up strategy.

Feasibility analysis of the market-oriented construction management model of drainage project based on evolutionary game.

The construction and operational costs of drainage projects are high. Traditional construction management models impose significant financial pressure on the government and reduce stakeholder motivation. Within the market-oriented development context, reforming the construction management model is crucial for breaking the current predicament. This research establishes a framework for the market-oriented construction management model for drainage projects and constructs a behavioral strategy evolutionary game model involving government, drainage management companies, and pollution discharge subjects. Through theoretical analyses and simulations, this research presents recommendations for the implementation of the market-oriented model. The research findings indicate that: (1) the market-oriented model is feasible both theoretically and practically. Pollution rights trading aids pollution discharge subjects in adapting to the market-oriented model. (2) Ensuring sewage charges remain within the interval [P1, P1 + L2 - L1] is crucial for trilateral cooperation. (3) Simulation analysis shows that intensifying policy support, reducing the cost of technological equipment upgrades, enhancing comprehensive income, lowering the pricing of sewage charges, and raising initial selection probability all promote a tendency towards ESS.

Comparing methanol and glycerol as carbon sources for mainstream partial denitrification/anammox in an IFAS process.

This study explored the implementation of mainstream partial denitrification with anammox (PdNA) in the second anoxic zone of a wastewater treatment process in an integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) configuration. A pilot study was conducted to compare the use of methanol and glycerol as external carbon sources for an IFAS PdNA startup, with a goal to optimize nitrogen removal while minimizing carbon usage. The study also investigated the establishment of anammox bacteria on virgin carriers in IFAS reactors without the use of seeding, and it is the first IFAS PdNA startup to use methanol as an external carbon source. The establishment of anammox bacteria was confirmed in both reactors 102 days after startup. Although the glycerol-fed reactor achieved a higher steady-state maximum ammonia removal rate because of anammox bacteria (1.6 ± 0.3 g/m2/day) in comparison with the methanol-fed reactor (1.2 ± 0.2 g/m2/day), both the glycerol- and methanol-fed reactors achieved similar average in situ ammonia removal rates of 0.39 ± 0.2 g/m2/day and 0.40 ± 0.2 g/m2/day, respectively. Additionally, when the upstream ammonia versus NOx (AvN) control system maintained an ideal ratio of 0.40-0.50 g/g, the methanol-fed reactor attained a lower average effluent TIN concentration (3.50 ± 1.2 mg/L) than the glycerol-fed reactor (4.43 ± 1.6 mg/L), which was prone to elevated nitrite concentrations in the effluent. Overall, this research highlights the potential for PdNA in IFAS configurations as an efficient and cost-saving method for wastewater treatment, with methanol as a viable carbon source for the establishment of anammox bacteria. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Methanol is an effective external carbon source for an anammox startup that avoids the need for costly alternative carbon sources. The methanol-fed reactor demonstrated higher TIN removal compared with the glycerol-fed reactor because of less overproduction of nitrite. Anammox bacteria was established in an IFAS reactor without seeding and used internally stored carbon to reduce external carbon addition. Controlling the influent ammonia versus NOx (AvN) ratio between 0.40 and 0.50 g/g allowed for low and stable TIN effluent conditions.

Persistent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal from sewage sludge-amended soil through phytoremediation combined with solid-state ligninolytic fungal cultures.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely present in the environment, causing increasing concern because of their impact on soil health, food safety and potential health risks. Four bioremediation strategies were examined to assess the dissipation of PAHs in agricultural soil amended with sewage sludge over a period of 120 days: soil-sludge natural attenuation (SS); phytoremediation using maize (Zea mays L.) (PSS); mycoremediation (MR) separately using three white-rot fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Irpex lacteus); and plant-assisted mycoremediation (PMR) using a combination of maize and fungi. In the time frame of the experiment, mycoremediation using P. chrysosporium (MR-PH) exhibited a significantly higher (P < 0.05) degradation of total PAHs compared to the SS and PSS treatments, achieving a degradation rate of 52 %. Both the SS and PSS treatments demonstrated a lower degradation rate of total PAHs, with removal rates of 18 % and 32 %, respectively. The PMR treatments showed the highest removal rates of total PAHs at the end of the study, with degradation rates of 48-60 %. In the shoots of maize, only low- and medium-molecular-weight PAHs were found in both the PSS and PMR treatments. The calculated translocation and bioconversion factors always showed values < 1. The analysed enzymatic activities were higher in the PMR treatments compared to other treatments, which can be positively related to the higher degradation of PAHs in the soil.

Description and Genomic Characteristics of Diaphorobacter limosus sp. nov., Isolated from a Sewage-Treatment Plant.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile, catalase-positive, denitrifying bacterium, designated strain Y-1T, was isolated from an aeration tank of a sewage treatment plant in China and characterized using polyphasic taxonomic approaches. Strain Y-1T could grow at 10-37 °C (optimum 25 °C), at pH 5.0-10.0 (optimum 7.0) and in the presence of 0-3.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0.5%). The phylogenetic tree based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain Y-1T was a member of genus Diaphorobacter, and showed the highest sequence similarities with Diaphorobacter oryzae RF3T (97.50%), Diaphorobacter nitroreducens NA10BT (97.38%) and Diaphorobacter aerolatus 8604S-37T (96.56%). In terms of carbon source utilization and enzyme activities, strain Y-1T was significantly different from its similar strains. The major respiratory quinone was Q-8, and the main polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. Comparative genomic analysis of strain Y-1T and other Diaphorobacter species was conducted to explore the mechanisms underlying the differences among these strains. Strain Y-1T encoded 3957 genes, consisting of 3813 protein-coding genes and 144 RNA coding genes, and encoded 652 enzymes with 31 unique enzymes compared with other related species. The DNA G + C content was 69.95 mol%. Strain Y-1T exhibited 41.71% DNA-DNA relatedness and 95% ANIb with the most related type strains.On the basis of the evidence presented from polyphasic analysis, strain Y-1T was suggested as a novel species within the genus Diaphorobacter, for which the name Diaphorobacter limosus sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain Y-1T (= KCTC 92852T = CCTCC AB 2023032T).

[Effect of Thermal Hydrolysis Pretreatment Time on Microbial Community Structure in Sludge Anaerobic Digestion System].

To evaluate the effect of thermal hydrolysis pretreatment time on the sludge anaerobic digestion system of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Daxing district, Beijing, the structure and diversity of microbial communities in primary sludge and an activated sludge anaerobic digestion system with different thermal hydrolysis pretreatment times (15 min, 30 min, and 45 min) were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the dominant groups of digested sludge were mainly distributed in Firmicutes, Cloacimonadota, Chloroflexi, and Synergistota, with W5 being the most common genus. The sum of relative abundance of the dominant phylum was greater than 60%, and W5 accounted for 20.8%-54.5%, showing a high abundance of a few dominant species. During the anaerobic digestion of thermo-hydrolyzed sludge, the relative abundance of acetogenic methanogens decreased due to high levels of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentrations, which suggested that the hydrogenophilic methanogenic pathway was more than that of the acetogenic methanogenic pathway. Correlation analysis showed that the soluble protein and pH of thermo-hydrolyzed sludge, NH4+-N of digested sludge, and thermal hydrolysis pretreatment time were the four main environmental factors affecting microbial community structure, and NH4+-N of digested sludge had the largest negative correlation with methanogens. The thermal hydrolysis pretreatment time was negatively correlated with both the Chao index and Shannon index, so longer thermal hydrolysis pretreatment time was not conducive to microbial flora during anaerobic digestion.

[Effects of Vermicomposting on Compost Quality and Heavy Metals：A Meta-analysis].

In order to comprehensively evaluate the effects of vermicomposting on compost quality and the conversion of heavy metals under different control conditions, 109 studies were reviewed. The effects of earthworm species, pre-compost time, ventilation methods, initial C/N, initial pH, and initial moisture of the raw materials on compost quality and the heavy metal toxicity were quantitatively discussed during the vermicomposting process through Meta-analysis. The results showed that the six subgroups of factors all showed obvious influences on the compost quality and heavy metal toxicity. After vermicomposting, the contents of NO3--N (116.2%), TN (29.1%), TP (31.2%), and TK (15.0%) were significantly increased, whereas NH4+-N (-14.8%) and C/N (-36.3%) were significantly decreased. Meanwhile, the total amount of Cu and Cr of the final compost and their bioavailability were significantly reduced. Considering the influences of grouping factors on compost quality and heavy metals, it is recommended to adjust the initial moisture of pile materials to 70%-80%, C/N to 30-85, and pH to 6-7 and to conduct pre-composting for 0-15 d; additionally, vermicomposting should be naturally placed when the composting is aimed at promoting the compost quality. If the main purpose is to weaken the perniciousness of heavy metals in the raw material, it is recommended to adjust the initial moisture of the material to 50%-60%, C/N to less than 30, and pH to 7-8; to conduct no pre-compost; regularly turn the piles; and use the earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae for vermicomposting.

Influence of brassinosteroid and silicon on growth, antioxidant enzymes, and metal uptake of leafy vegetables under wastewater irrigation.

Vegetable cultivation under sewage irrigation is a common practice mostly in developing countries due to a lack of freshwater. Long-term usage provokes heavy metals accumulation in soil and ultimately hinders the growth and physiology of crop plants and deteriorates the quality of food. A study was performed to investigate the role of brassinosteroid (BRs) and silicon (Si) on lettuce, spinach, and cabbage under lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contaminated sewage water. The experiment comprises three treatments (control, BRs, and Si) applied under a completely randomized design (CRD) in a growth chamber. BRs and Si application resulted in the highest increase of growth, physiology, and antioxidant enzyme activities when applied under canal water followed by distilled water and sewage water. However, BRs and Si increased the above-determined attributes under the sewage water by reducing the Pb and Cd uptake as compared to the control. It's concluded that sewerage water adversely affected the growth and development of vegetables by increasing Pb and Cd, and foliar spray of Si and BRs could have great potential to mitigate the adverse effects of heavy metals and improve the growth. The long-term alleviating effect of BRs and Si will be evaluated in the field conditions at different ecological zones.

Unveiling the influence of microaeration and sludge recirculation on enhancement of pharmaceutical removal and microbial community change of the novel anaerobic baffled biofilm - membrane bioreactor in treating building wastewater.

This research aims to conduct a comparative investigation of the role played by microaeration and sludge recirculation in the novel anaerobic baffled biofilm-membrane bioreactor (AnBB-MBR) for enhancing pharmaceutical removal from building wastewater. Three AnBB-MBRs - R1: AnBB-MBR, R2: AnBB-MBR with microaeration and R3: AnBB-MBR with microaeration and sludge recirculation - were operated simultaneously to remove Ciprofloxacin (CIP), Caffeine (CAF), Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and Diclofenac (DCF) from real building wastewater at the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 30 h for 115 days. From the removal profiles of the targeted pharmaceuticals in the AnBB-MBRs, it was found that the fixed-film compartment (C1) could significantly reduce the targeted pharmaceuticals. The remaining pharmaceuticals were further removed with the microaeration compartment. R2 exhibited the utmost removal efficiency for CIP (78.0 %) and DCF (40.8 %), while SMX was removed most successfully by R3 (microaeration with sludge recirculation) at 91.3 %, followed by microaeration in R2 (88.5 %). For CAF, it was easily removed by all AnBB-MBR systems (>90 %). The removal mechanisms indicate that the microaeration in R2 facilitated the adsorption of CIP onto microaerobic biomass, while the enhanced biodegradation of CAF, SMX and DCF was confirmed by batch biotransformation kinetics and the adsorption isotherms of the targeted pharmaceuticals. The microbial groups involved in biodegradation of the targeted compounds under microaeration were identified as nitrogen removal microbials (Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira, Thiobacillus, and Denitratisoma) and methanotrophs (Methylosarcina, Methylocaldum, and Methylocystis). Overall, explication of the integration of AnBB-MBR with microaeration (R2) confirmed it as a prospective technology for pharmaceutical removal from building wastewater due to its energy-efficient approach characterized by minimal aeration supply.