ACS ES&T engineering最新文献

{"title":"Reverse Osmosis in an Advanced Water Treatment Train Produces a Simple, Consistent Microbial Community","authors":"Rose S. Kantor*,&nbsp;Lauren C. Kennedy,&nbsp;Scott E. Miller,&nbsp;Jorien Favere and Kara L. Nelson*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0066510.1021/acsestengg.4c00665","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00665https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00665","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Potable water reuse has become a key component of water sustainability planning in arid regions. Many advanced water purification facilities use reverse osmosis (RO) as part of treatment, including as a barrier for microorganisms; however, regrowth after RO treatment has been observed. Questions remain about the identity, source, and survival mechanisms of microorganisms in RO permeate, but the extremely low biomass of this water is a limitation for common microbiological methods. Here, we performed high-throughput sequencing on samples collected throughout a potable reuse train, including samples collected by filtering large volumes of RO permeate and biomass collected from RO membranes during an autopsy. We observed a stable, consistent microbial community across three months and in two parallel RO trains. RO permeate samples contained Burkholderiaceae at high relative abundance, including one <i>Aquabacterium</i> sp. that accounted for 29% of the community, on average. Like most other RO permeate microorganisms, this sequence was not seen in upstream samples and we suggest that biofilm growing on unit process infrastructure, rather than active treatment breakthrough, was the primary source. A metagenome-assembled genome corresponding to <i>Aquabacterium</i> sp. from RO permeate was found to lack most sugar-utilization pathways and to be able to consume low molecular weight organic molecules, potentially those that pass through RO.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 3","pages":"772–781 772–781"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00665","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143608914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Broad Influence of Quorum Sensing in Environmental Biotechnology: From Mechanisms to Applications","authors":"Shunan Zhao,&nbsp;Yunong Dai,&nbsp;Ruikang Wang,&nbsp;Qianli Guo,&nbsp;Ge Song,&nbsp;Liuying Song,&nbsp;Jiyong Bian,&nbsp;Kai Zhao*,&nbsp;Ruiping Liu and Yu-You Li,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0065710.1021/acsestengg.4c00657","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00657https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00657","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Quorum sensing (QS), a pivotal cell-to-cell communication mechanism in microbial communities, plays a significant role in regulating microbial behaviors such as biofilm formation and sludge granulation, which are critical for the efficiency of wastewater treatment systems. This review provides thorough insight into the QS pathway modulation, focusing on the utilization of signaling molecules, particularly N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), to augment microbial aggregation and extracellular polymeric substance synthesis within wastewater biotreatment system. The strategic addition of exogenous AHLs has been demonstrated to significantly accelerate the granulation process in aerobic and anaerobic sludge, leading to the development of more stable and compact granules with enhanced settling velocity and nutrient removal efficiency. Furthermore, the QS pathway significantly impacts microbial community structure and function, with diverse signaling molecules forming a complex regulatory network that can be leveraged to improve the performance of biotechnological processes. In addition to enhancing the advantageous attributes of biofilms, researchers have also immersed themselves in the exploration of quorum quenching (QQ) strategies. These strategies are adeptly applied to disrupt QS pathways, thereby effectively managing membrane fouling within membrane bioreactors (MBRs). By employing QQ enzymes, synthetic analogs, and QQ bacterial strains, researchers present effective approaches to mitigate biofilm-related issues without adversely affecting the microbial treatment processes. The innovative use of immobilized QQ enzymes and the integration of QQ strains into the MBRs have shown promising results in reducing fouling and maintaining operational stability. This review highlights the dual potential of QS manipulation for both enhancing desirable microbial process and controlling detrimental ones. By providing a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms and practical applications for QS/QQ pathway, scholars would be expected to develop more efficient and sustainable environmental biotechnology solutions for wastewater treatment and beyond.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 2","pages":"284–302 284–302"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reverse Osmosis in an Advanced Water Treatment Train Produces a Simple, Consistent Microbial Community.","authors":"Rose S Kantor, Lauren C Kennedy, Scott E Miller, Jorien Favere, Kara L Nelson","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c00665","DOIUrl":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c00665","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Potable water reuse has become a key component of water sustainability planning in arid regions. Many advanced water purification facilities use reverse osmosis (RO) as part of treatment, including as a barrier for microorganisms; however, regrowth after RO treatment has been observed. Questions remain about the identity, source, and survival mechanisms of microorganisms in RO permeate, but the extremely low biomass of this water is a limitation for common microbiological methods. Here, we performed high-throughput sequencing on samples collected throughout a potable reuse train, including samples collected by filtering large volumes of RO permeate and biomass collected from RO membranes during an autopsy. We observed a stable, consistent microbial community across three months and in two parallel RO trains. RO permeate samples contained Burkholderiaceae at high relative abundance, including one <i>Aquabacterium</i> sp. that accounted for 29% of the community, on average. Like most other RO permeate microorganisms, this sequence was not seen in upstream samples and we suggest that biofilm growing on unit process infrastructure, rather than active treatment breakthrough, was the primary source. A metagenome-assembled genome corresponding to <i>Aquabacterium</i> sp. from RO permeate was found to lack most sugar-utilization pathways and to be able to consume low molecular weight organic molecules, potentially those that pass through RO.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 3","pages":"772-781"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11915367/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143661858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Innovative Catalysis Approaches for Methane Utilization","authors":"Jedy Prameswari,&nbsp; and ,&nbsp;Yu-Chuan Lin*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0070010.1021/acsestengg.4c00700","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00700https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00700","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), has exhibited a persistent escalation in emissions from the energy sector. The imperative to mitigate these emissions has become paramount, and one promising avenue is the catalytic conversion of methane into diverse chemicals. This review focuses on the exploration of methane conversion into valuable compounds, including syngas, olefins, and methanol. As advancements in catalysis technology and studies have unfolded, numerous additional insights into the catalytic conversion of methane into novel and significant compounds have surfaced. This review provides an in-depth analysis, focusing predominantly on the latest advancements and cutting-edge innovations in catalytic methane conversion methodologies encompassing methane to acetonitrile and hydrogen cyanide conversion, selective methane conversion to formaldehyde, pyrolysis of methane into solid carbon and hydrogen, and the application of plasma-aided technology. Additionally, it endeavors to elucidate critical parameters and advantages and addresses the intricate array of limitations and future prospects such as theoretical calculations and artificial intelligence (AI)-aided catalyst design.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 2","pages":"325–343 325–343"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00700","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using Machine Learning and GPT Models To Enhance Electrochemical Pretreatment of Anaerobic Cofermentation: Prediction, Early Warning, and Biomarker Identification","authors":"Jinqi Jiang,&nbsp;Qingshan Lin,&nbsp;Xiaohong Guan,&nbsp;Shuai Zhou,&nbsp;Shifa Zhong,&nbsp;Xiang Xiang,&nbsp;Zongping Wang,&nbsp;Guanghao Chen and Gang Guo*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0083010.1021/acsestengg.4c00830","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00830https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00830","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Electrochemical enhancing anaerobic cofermentation of waste activated sludge and food waste to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs) represents an innovative and promising approach. Despite its potential, optimizing system performance, providing early warnings, and identifying biomarkers remain challenging tasks due to the intricate interplay of numerous environmental variables and unclear dynamics of microbial interactions. This study first employed machine learning (ML) models including XGBoost, random forest (RF), support vector regression (SVR), and CatBoost to forecast VFA production by integrating initial feedstock properties, electrochemical pretreatment conditions, and fermentation parameters. CatBoost demonstrated the highest <i>R</i>² of 0.977 and the lowest root-mean-square error (RMSE) at 95.69 mg COD/L. Key environmental factors, including fermentation days (VFA production reaching 90% by day 5), salinity (0.5–1.0 g/L), and the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio (16.53–22), were identified as optimal for VFA production. To enhance long-term monitoring and facilitate early warning systems, process indicators (pH, ORP, PNs, SCOD, and PSs) from the last day were used to predict VFA production on the following day by fine-tuning the generative pretrain transformer (GPT), with the <i>gpt-3.5-turbo-0125</i> model exhibiting the highest <i>R</i>² of 0.837 ± 0.004 and lowest RMSE of 296.98 ± 3.65 mg COD/L. Local sensitivity analysis revealed that SCOD was the most important process factor affecting VFA production. Moreover, this study employed ML models to uncover microbial biomarkers at the genus levels, including Prevotella_7, <i>Veillonella</i>, <i>Megasphaera</i>, and <i>Lactobacillus</i>, thereby elucidating the nexus among environmental factors, microbial communities, and VFA production. This study offered a novel modeling workflow for anaerobic cofermentation, enabling process optimization and mechanism exploration with the assistance of ML and large language models.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 5","pages":"1149–1159 1149–1159"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Generation of Reactive Oxidants during Nitrate Electrolysis: An Approach to the Simultaneous Removal of Nitrate and Organic Contaminants","authors":"Ki-Myeong Lee,&nbsp;Joohyun Kim,&nbsp;Jee Yeon Kim,&nbsp;Min Sik Kim,&nbsp;Hye-Jin Lee,&nbsp;Jiwon Seo,&nbsp;Juri Lee,&nbsp;Erwin Jongwoo Park and Changha Lee*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0082010.1021/acsestengg.4c00820","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00820https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00820","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study demonstrated that organic contaminants are effectively oxidized by reactive oxidants generated through multiple pathways during nitrate (NO₃^–) electrolysis under acidic conditions. The electrochemical degradation of benzoic acid (BA) was 3.6 times faster in the NO₃^– electrolyte than in the inert perchlorate (ClO₄^–) electrolyte, suggesting that BA degradation is facilitated by specific reactions with intermediates formed during NO₃^– electrolysis. A series of electrolytic experiments and analyses confirmed that BA degradation during NO₃^– electrolysis occurs through three reaction pathways: (i) hydroxylamine (HA) produced by cathodic reduction of NO₃^– anodically produces peroxynitrous acid (ONOOH), which oxidizes BA via a hydroxyl radical (cathodic/anodic coupled pathway), (ii) the cathodic reduction of NO₃^– yields ONOOH through the reaction of nitrous acid (HNO₂) and hydrogen peroxide (cathodic pathway), and (iii) the anodic oxidation of NO₃^– forms a nitrate radical that degrades BA (anodic pathway). The prolonged electrolytic reaction of BA and NO₃^– resulted in a simultaneous reduction in total carbon and nitrogen concentrations. Furthermore, the enhanced electrochemical degradation of various organic compounds in the NO₃^– electrolyte was consistently observed. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the chemistry of NO₃^– electrolysis, indicating that the electrochemical system could be an effective alternative for the simultaneous removal of NO₃^– nitrogen and organic carbon in numerous nitric acid-based industrial wastewaters.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 5","pages":"1122–1130 1122–1130"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Vanadium Redox Flow Process for Carbon Capture and Energy Storage","authors":"Mohsen Afshari,&nbsp;Abdelrahman Refaie,&nbsp;Prince Aleta,&nbsp;Ahmad Hassan and Mim Rahimi*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0063110.1021/acsestengg.4c00631","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00631https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00631","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Climate change mitigation by decreasing worldwide CO₂ emissions is an urgent and demanding challenge that requires innovative technical solutions. This work, inspired by vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB), introduces an integrated electrochemical process for carbon capture and energy storage. It utilizes established vanadium and ferricyanide redox couples for pH modulation for CO₂ desorption and absorbent regeneration. The developed process consumes electricity during the daytime─when renewable electricity is available─to desorb CO₂ and charge the cell, and it can regenerate the absorbent for further CO₂ absorption while releasing electricity to the grid during nighttime when solar power is unavailable. This research explores the process fundamentals and scalability potential, through an extensive study of the system’s thermodynamics, transport phenomena, kinetics, and bench-scale operations. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was utilized to study the thermodynamics of the process, mapping the redox profiles to identify ideal potential windows for operation. The CV results indicated that an overpotential of approximately 0.3 V was required for driving redox reactions. Additionally, polarization studies were conducted to select the practical operating potential, identifying 0.5 V as optimal for the CO₂ desorption cycle to provide sufficient polarity to overcome activation barriers in addition to the Nernstian potential. Mass transfer analysis balanced conductivity and desorption efficiency, with a 1:1 ratio identified as optimal for redox-active species and background electrolyte concentration. To further enhance the kinetics of the redox reactions, plasma treatment of electrode surfaces was implemented, resulting in a 43% decrease in charge transfer resistance, as measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis. Finally, a bench-scale operation of the system demonstrated an energy consumption of 54 kJ/mol CO₂, which is competitive with other electrochemical carbon capture technologies. Besides its energy competitiveness, the process offers multiple additional advantages, including the elimination of precious metal electrodes, oxygen insensitivity in flue gas, scalability inspired by VRFB technology, and the unique ability to function as a battery during the absorbent regeneration process, enabling efficient day-night operation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 5","pages":"1099–1110 1099–1110"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatially Confined Catalytic Interfaces Driven by Iron Minerals for Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling Control: Fouling Evolution and Molecular Dynamics Simulation","authors":"Heyu Wan,&nbsp;Zhixiang Zhang,&nbsp;Yahui Shi*,&nbsp;Kunjie Hou,&nbsp;Jiawei Liang,&nbsp;Dongjin Wan* and Ying Li,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0081110.1021/acsestengg.4c00811","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00811https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00811","url":null,"abstract":"<p >A spatially confined catalytic interface driven by iron minerals (α-FeOOH) for ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling control was developed for the first time. α-FeOOH formed a rough hydrophilic interface on the membrane surface, resulting in less adhesion of hydrophobic natural organic matters (NOMs). α-FeOOH loading also amplified both the NOM packing and fouling mitigation ability of the membrane, with an obvious reduction of 41.3% in intrinsic and 24.9% in fouling resistance. The spatially confined oxidation near the membrane surface region and in the interstitial region of the α-FeOOH loading layer effectively reduced the size and quantity of NOMs, thereby transitioning the filtration model from complete blocking (<i>n</i> = 2.42) to intermediate blocking (<i>n</i> = 1.17). The energy domain distribution of the membrane surface was revealed by the intermolecular interaction energy, and the in situ oxidation strengthened the mutual repulsion among NOMs (Δ<i>G</i>_flf^TOT = −40.48 mJ/m²) while augmenting the electrostatic barrier of the NOM membrane (<i>E</i> = 24.37 kT). According to the molecular dynamics simulation, humic acid (HA) molecules experienced less spatial site-barrier effects within the α-FeOOH loading layer (diffusion coefficient was 3.31 × 10^–6 cm²/s) and the α-FeOOH loading layer provided an increased number of hydroxylation sites for HA (the coordination number was 7.0). This high-performance catalytic membrane presents a promising strategy for controlling the membrane fouling induced by NOMs during UF purification.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 4","pages":"1068–1081 1068–1081"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143814445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Copper Single-Atom Catalyst on Nanoconfined Ceramic Membranes for Fenton-Like Removal of Organic Contaminants","authors":"Tayler Hedtke,&nbsp;Yuyao Zhang,&nbsp;Maria Beebe,&nbsp;Kali Rigby,&nbsp;Aidan Francis Meese,&nbsp;Menachem Elimelech* and Jae-Hong Kim*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0084310.1021/acsestengg.4c00843","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00843https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00843","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Membranes are increasingly used as substrates to host nanoscale catalysts for degrading organic pollutants through Fenton-like advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). However, reducing membrane pore sizes to improve size exclusion poses the challenge of catalysts blocking pores in similar nanoscale spaces. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate successful loading of copper catalysts in isolated single-atom morphology─the theoretical limit of size reduction─onto a ceramic membrane substrate for flow-through AOPs. The novel copper single-atom catalyst-functionalized anodic aluminum oxide membrane demonstrates enhanced catalytic performance by confining surface-catalyzed radical generation within nanometer-sized pores. Using benzoic acid as a model contaminant, the membrane achieved up to 54% degradation at pH 4 through single-pass treatment, with a degradation half-life of approximately 42 s. Minimal copper leaching and stable catalytic activity were observed across a broad pH range (4–8), underscoring the structural robustness and operational durability of the catalytic membrane. Its performance significantly surpasses that of traditional batch systems by reducing residence times and improving mass transfer efficiency. This successful demonstration with copper single-atom catalysts enables catalytic membrane designs with pore sizes much smaller than those possible with conventional nanoparticles.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 5","pages":"1171–1179 1171–1179"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Droplet Digital PCR Facilitates the Revelation of Metabolic Interactions Among Key Microorganisms in the Integrated Simultaneous Desulfurization and Denitrification Process","authors":"Qian Liu,&nbsp;Qi Zhou,&nbsp;Jie Chen,&nbsp;Shuang Gao,&nbsp;Suyun Sun,&nbsp;Yu Tao,&nbsp;Xiaodong Xin,&nbsp;Wei Li,&nbsp;Sihao Lv,&nbsp;Ai-jie Wang and Cong Huang*,&nbsp;","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.4c0070110.1021/acsestengg.4c00701","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00701https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.4c00701","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The integrated simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification (ISDD) process offers a viable solution for coremoval of sulfate and nitrate while recovering elemental sulfur. However, the metabolic interactions among the functional microorganisms involved in the bioconversion of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in this process remain poorly understood. In this study, a quantitative framework was established to measure the absolute abundances of individual bacterial and archaeal taxa by integrating the precision of droplet digital PCR with the high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Quantitative measurements of absolute abundances identified the dominant species as COD/sulfate ratio varied from 1 to 3 and then back to 1. As the COD/sulfate ratio increased from 1 to 3, sulfate removal efficiency improved from 57.67% to 94.69%, accompanied by increased hydrogen and methane production. <i>Desulfobulbus</i> exhibited a competitive advantage in facilitating metabolite transfer and enhancing methane production efficiency. Furthermore, higher influent COD upregulated <i>apr</i>, <i>omcS</i>, and <i>nirK</i> genes, while downregulating the <i>sqr</i> gene. Five pairs of electron-shuttling systems among <i>Methanobacterium</i>, <i>Methanosaeta</i>, <i>Anaerolineaceae</i>, <i>Desulfobulbus</i> and <i>Sulfurovum</i> were explained through structural equation modeling (SEM). These findings offer valuable insights into microbial interactions that could enhance ISDD system performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"5 3","pages":"816–827 816–827"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143608990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}