Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology最新文献

{"title":"Suitability of concentration and extraction protocols for genomic applications in wastewater-based epidemiology","authors":"Laura A. E. Van Poelvoorde, Bert Bogaerts, Kevin Vanneste, Bavo Verhaegen, Veronik Hutse, Sigrid C. J. De Keersmaecker, François E. Dufrasne, Koenraad Van Hoorde and Nancy Roosens","doi":"10.1039/D5EW00930H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW00930H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a powerful tool for community monitoring, offering a non-invasive, cost-effective means of assessing public health. PCR-based methods, including digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), combined with reverse transcription (RT) for RNA viruses, are widely used for detection of known pathogens in wastewater. Recently, sequencing approaches have gained importance. Targeted amplicon sequencing enables high-sensitivity detection of specific pathogens, while metagenomic sequencing provides untargeted profiling of microbial and viral communities, supporting surveillance of novel pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A major challenge across all genomic approaches remains the efficient concentration and extraction of nucleic acids, particularly for low-abundance targets like respiratory viruses. This study aimed to evaluate the fit-for-purpose of concentration and extraction protocols for wastewater surveillance, focussing on their suitability for genomic downstream applications: (RT-)ddPCR, amplicon sequencing and metagenomics. Both RNA (viral pathogens) and DNA (AMR markers) targets were included and experiments were performed on raw and spiked wastewater. The results revealed substantial variability in method performance. Ultrafiltration with a concentrating pipette (InnovaPrep) consistently yielded lower viral concentrations, whereas precipitation-based methods, magnetic capture and a column-based concentration/extraction kit provided higher yield and better sensitivity. PCR inhibitors reduced targeted sequencing efficiency, while metagenomics produced consistent taxonomic profiles across methods. Overall, the study highlights the importance of protocol optimization to improve sensitivity in WBE. Optimization of protocols, particularly for detecting low abundance pathogens and inhibitor removal, remains essential. Broader validation across diverse wastewater matrices and microbial species will be critical to strengthen the role of WBE in public health surveillance.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1466-1476"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ew/d5ew00930h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanistic study on C/N ratio-driven nitrogen transformation pathways and microbial community dynamics in constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell systems","authors":"Jingyi Zhao, Bo Wang, JiaMing Li, Tianlong Hua, Qian Cheng, Haotian Xue and Leihua Jia","doi":"10.1039/D5EW01282A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW01282A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The influent carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio serves as a key parameter that affects pollutant removal and electricity generation in constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) systems. This study built a CW-MFC system and set six different influent C/N ratio gradients (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 15). It systematically examined how the C/N ratio influences pollutant removal efficiency, electrochemical performance, and microbial community structure. Results showed that chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate increased with higher C/N ratios and reached 90.06% at C/N = 15. Total nitrogen (TN) removal rate showed nonlinear changes and peaked at 75.27% when C/N = 3. Ammonium nitrogen (NH<small>₄</small><small>⁺</small>-N) and total phosphorus (TP) removal rates achieved optimal values at C/N = 5 (86.19%) and C/N = 7 (89.44%), respectively. Nitrogen speciation analysis indicated that short-cut nitrification–denitrification occurred more readily at C/N = 5 and 7, with higher nitrite nitrogen (NO<small>₂</small><small>⁻</small>-N) accumulation. For electrochemical performance, output voltage and power density rose with increasing C/N ratios, but coulombic efficiency dropped sharply to 0.25% at C/N = 15. This drop suggests that excessive carbon sources reduced electron transfer efficiency. Microbial community analysis revealed <em>Proteobacteria</em> as the dominant phylum. Abundances of functional genera like <em>Geobacter</em> and <em>Denitratisoma</em> shifted significantly with C/N ratio changes. These shifts drove alterations in nitrogen transformation pathways and electrochemical behaviors. The C/N ratio regulated system performance through a three-tier cascade involving redox environment shifts, electron flux repartitioning, and microbial community succession. The study demonstrates that moderate C/N ratios (3–7) can synergistically optimize nitrogen removal, electricity generation, and microbial functions. It provides a theoretical basis for operational regulation in CW-MFC systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1452-1465"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding transmission and infections of respiratory syncytial virus through wastewater-based epidemiology","authors":"Katherine B. Ensor, Jose Palacio, Sallie A. Keller, Rebecca Schneider, Kaavya Domakonda, Loren Hopkins and Lauren Stadler","doi":"10.1039/D5EW01170A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW01170A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an effective tool for tracking community circulation of respiratory viruses. We address a scientific gap that takes measured wastewater viral load of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and estimate the effective reproduction number and the number of infections in the population. We advocate a modular approach to the analysis. We first estimate the trend and current level of the RSV viral load and quantify the uncertainty. These estimates become input for our Bayesian renewal model for both the infection rate and the number of infected individuals. The modular approach simplifies the analysis pipeline while maintaining scientific integrity. Further, the modular approach supports translation to other viruses by using disease-specific models for estimated transmission and cases in the second phase of the analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1600-1606"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ew/d5ew01170a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spectroscopic analysis of the interaction mechanism between manganese(ii) and microbial extracellular polymeric substances in landfill leachate treatment","authors":"Jiasheng Li, Yuejin Wu, Jian Huang, Hua Zhang, Zuochen Sun, Tao Luo and Chunhua He","doi":"10.1039/D6EW00109B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6EW00109B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play a vital role in microbial metabolism and interact with manganese(<small>II</small>), which is commonly present in landfill leachate, during anaerobic biological treatment. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying their interaction. The results indicate that as the manganese(<small>II</small>) concentration gradually increases from 0 to 200 mg L<small>⁻¹</small>, the protein content in the tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) rises progressively, but then begins to decrease at higher concentrations. Meanwhile, the humic acid content in TB-EPS shows a gradual decline with increasing manganese(<small>II</small>) levels. In contrast, both the protein and humic acid contents in the loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) continuously increase while polysaccharide content remained largely unaffected by manganese(<small>II</small>). Three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy revealed that the fluorescence intensity of tryptophan-like organics in LB-EPS enhanced with increasing manganese(<small>II</small>), whereas in TB-EPS, it increased initially and then declined. Humic acid-like fluorescence intensified in LB-EPS but weakened gradually in TB-EPS. UV-visible spectroscopy further demonstrated stronger interactions between manganese(<small>II</small>) and aromatic structures or unsaturated aliphatic chains in TB-EPS compared to LB-EPS. Analysis of the protein secondary structure indicated a decreased α-helix/(β-turn + random coil) ratio in TB-EPS at 200 mg L<small>⁻¹</small> manganese(<small>II</small>), which contributed to enhanced sludge adsorption and flocculation; this trend was reversed at higher concentrations. This multi-spectral approach clarifies the molecular-level effects of manganese(<small>II</small>) on EPS components and provides insights for optimizing the biological treatment of landfill leachate.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 4","pages":" 1199-1208"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147588316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Response surface methodology optimization of COD removal from wastewater using peanut shell-derived activated carbons: a sustainable biosorption approach","authors":"Sunaina, Sheetal Kumari, Aarti Khandurie, Charu Sharma, Sasi devi Bandlamudi and Manoj Chandra Garg","doi":"10.1039/D5EW01291K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW01291K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The contamination of water by industrial and urban waste discharge is a serious environmental problem, and the high chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels of the wastewater are detrimental to aquatic life due to oxygen depletion and ecological imbalance. This study presents a detailed investigation into the removal of COD from wastewater using peanut shell-derived activated carbons (PSACs) as green biosorbents, which were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) with a central compositional design (CCD). Wastewater samples obtained from the Shahdara Drain in Delhi, India, were treated using the PSAC prepared <em>via</em> sulfuric acid activation and thermal carbonization at 550–650 °C. Three important operational parameters of the experiment were systematically tested: pH (3.32–6.68), contact time (46.36–113.64 min), and adsorbent dose (0.659–2.34 g L<small>⁻¹</small>) in a series of 20 experimental runs. Response surface analysis helped understand the intricate interactive behavior, and a pH of 6.0, a contact time of 74 min, and an adsorbent dose of 1.0 g L<small>⁻¹</small> were the optimum operating conditions, with which the maximum COD removal was 87.8% and the adsorption capacity was 34.4 mg g<small>⁻¹</small>. Validation experiments proved the accuracy of prediction within the range of 5% error, demonstrating the strong model reliability. The near-neutral optimal pH, moderate contact time, and low dose of adsorbent contribute to the practical implementation in industrial applications. The current research confirms that peanut shell valorization is a sustainable and affordable method that utilizes wastewater to promote the principles of a circular economy, complies with the regulatory standards, and has high potential for large-scale industrial application.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1508-1532"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Growth response of Scenedesmus and Chlorella to elevated sulfate concentrations","authors":"Lisa Aditya, Viet Q. Ly, Md Abu Hasan Johir, Unnikrishnan Kuzhiumparambil, Peter J. Ralph and Long D. Nghiem","doi":"10.1039/D5EW01288K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW01288K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This study examines the response of microalgae to elevated sulfate concentrations and pH variation in terms of growth rate and biochemical composition under simulated flue gas conditions. The observed response was species-dependent: <em>Scenedesmus</em> sp. tolerated higher sulfate levels than <em>C. vulgaris</em>, which showed chlorosis and growth decline at sulfate concentrations above 12 mM. <em>Scenedesmus</em> sp. exhibited higher sulfate tolerance by effectively regulating transporter activity and maintaining redox balance, thereby sustaining both growth and photosynthetic function. In contrast, <em>C. vulgaris</em> showed lower resilience to osmotic and oxidative stress, resulting in growth decline. Elevated sulfate induced toxicity and osmotic imbalance, thereby altering metabolic allocation. Maximum protein content occurred at 3 mM sulfate, while lipid content decreased with increasing sulfate concentration. Key fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) including linolelaidic acid methyl ester and <em>cis</em>-9-oleic acid methyl ester also decreased as sulfate levels increased. Moreover, microalgae prioritised protein synthesis over lipid storage to maintain metabolic stability and cellular resilience in a sulfate-rich environment. Overall, elevated sulfate negatively affected growth and lipid productivity, with clear interspecies variation in tolerance.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1548-1558"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Somatic coliphage as a promising fecal viral surrogate for wastewater treatment performance evaluation in tropical coastal region","authors":"Brian Allen, Min Ki Jeon, Sunny Jiang and Tao Yan","doi":"10.1039/D5EW01149C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW01149C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Traditional methods using fecal indicator bacteria as water quality metrics do not accurately represent the risks from viral pathogens, which may follow different fate and removal patterns in wastewater treatment processes. Coliphages have been studied as viral surrogates for water quality and have shown improved detection of viral pathogens compared with bacterial indicators, but there is a lack of research on coliphages as viral surrogates in tropical coastal wastewater treatment systems. This study examined the concentration dynamics of somatic and F-specific coliphages in primary influent, secondary effluent, and final effluent from a tropical coastal wastewater treatment plant and compared their concentrations and removal efficiencies against common human viral pathogens, including norovirus GI, norovirus GII, enterovirus, and adenovirus, as well as plant pathogens, including tomato brown rugose fruit virus and pepper mild mottle virus. Somatic coliphages were abundant and exhibited relatively low variability across the treatment train, with a mean cumulative log removal of 4.50 ± 0.67 log<small>₁₀</small>. They also showed strong statistically significant correlations with both human-associated viral pathogens (mean <em>ρ</em> = 0.71 ± 0.10, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) and plant-associated viral pathogens (mean <em>ρ</em> = 0.81 ± 0.05, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). In contrast, F-specific coliphages occurred at lower abundance, exhibited greater variability, and had a lower cumulative mean log removal (2.55 ± 1.42 log<small>₁₀</small>). While F-specific coliphages were also significantly correlated with human-associated (mean <em>ρ</em> = 0.51 ± 0.07, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) and plant-associated viral pathogens (mean <em>ρ</em> = 0.60 ± 0.06, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), these correlations were consistently weaker than those observed for somatic coliphages. This study offers new insight into how somatic coliphages may serve as effective viral surrogates in wastewater treatment processes located in tropical coastal regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1586-1599"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Granular activated carbon for bromacil removal: experimental and predictive techniques","authors":"J. Ricardo González-Rodríguez, Nancy Ariza-Castro, Andrés Lazo-Páez and Luis Guillermo Romero-Esquivel","doi":"10.1039/D5EW00573F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW00573F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Bromacil, a broad-spectrum herbicide classified as a probable carcinogen, poses significant health and environmental risks due to its persistence and mobility in groundwater. This study investigates the removal of bromacil from spring and groundwater using commercial bituminous- and coconut-based granular activated carbons (GACs). Batch adsorption experiments with samples from three contaminated sites in Costa Rica (<em>C</em><small>₀</small> = 0.10–1.30 μg L<small>⁻¹</small>) revealed that bituminous GAC exhibited higher adsorption capacities (<em>k</em><small>_F</small> = 0.55–0.89 (μg mg<small>⁻¹</small>)(L μg<small>⁻¹</small>)<small>^1/<em>n</em></small>; 1/<em>n</em> = 0.30–0.42) compared to coconut GAC (<em>k</em><small>_F</small> = 0.30–0.40 (μg mg<small>⁻¹</small>)(L μg<small>⁻¹</small>)<small>^1/<em>n</em></small>; 1/<em>n</em> = 0.30–0.42), likely due to its broader mesoporous structure. Constant diffusivity rapid small-scale column tests (CD-RSSCTs) with bituminous GAC were conducted to simulate full-scale performance for small community water systems (&lt;1000 m<small>³</small> per day) at EBCTs of 5.7 and 8.2 minutes. The results indicated that full-scale adsorbers could treat approximately 66 000 and 141 000 bed volumes (corresponding to 277 and 805 days of operation) before reaching the bromacil maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.1 μg L<small>⁻¹</small>. Furthermore, pore-surface diffusion model (PSDM) simulations predicted operational lifespans ranging from 3.4 to 84 months for inlet bromacil concentrations of 20 to 1 μg L<small>⁻¹</small>, respectively, under an EBCT of 15 minutes. These findings highlight the potential of GAC as an effective and safe strategy for bromacil removal from drinking water sources. However, differences in the adsorption capacities of B-GAC and C-GAC should be interpreted cautiously, considering the specific NOM concentration and composition of each water matrix.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1413-1425"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrogeochemical and statistical assessment of groundwater in Pithoragarh, Lesser Himalaya","authors":"Kiran Patni, Ashutosh Pratap Pande, Chitra Pande, Kshitindra Kumar Singh, Manoj Kumar Jindal and Sunil Kumar Sahoo","doi":"10.1039/D5EW01265A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW01265A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Groundwater quality (subsurface groundwater) in the Lesser Himalaya is controlled by the interplay of geogenic and anthropogenic processes. This study assessed 32 spring-water samples from the Pithoragarh district during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, integrating major ions and trace metals (Cr, Pb, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, U) to elucidate hydrogeochemical processes and implications for drinking and agricultural use. The results indicate that groundwater ranges from mildly acidic to alkaline in nature and is primarily dominated by HCO<small>₃</small><small>⁻</small> and Cl<small>⁻</small> among anions and Mg<small>²⁺</small> and Ca<small>⁺</small> among cations. Elevated HCO<small>₃</small><small>⁻</small> concentrations and high HCO<small>₃</small><small>⁻</small>/(HCO<small>₃</small><small>⁻</small> + SO<small>₄</small><small>²⁻</small>) ratios (&gt;0.5) indicate that carbonic acid weathering is the primary driver of solute chemistry. Gibbs and Piper diagrams further confirm that rock–water interaction is the dominant hydrogeochemical process, with localized influence from anthropogenic activities. Quantitative assessment indicates that rock–water interaction accounts for around 71.9% of the governing processes, while Mg<small>²⁺</small> and Ca<small>²⁺</small> together contribute more than 75% of the total cation concentration. Similarly, HCO<small>₃</small><small>⁻</small> and Cl<small>⁻</small> collectively account for nearly 90% of the total anion concentration. Seasonal shifts in hydrochemical facies (Ca–Mg–HCO<small>₃</small>, Ca–Mg–SO<small>₄</small>, Na–K–Cl, and mixed ion types) reflect variable water–rock interaction intensities. Irrigation suitability is generally favorable, though site-specific salinity and magnesium hazards may impair long-term use. Multivariate analysis showed that 82.82% of pre-monsoon variance was controlled by Mg<small>²⁺</small>, HCO<small>₃</small><small>⁻</small>, TDS, EC, and Ca<small>²⁺</small>, underscoring their geochemical significance. Overall, the findings advance our understanding of Himalayan aquifer vulnerability under seasonal and environmental stressors, with implications for groundwater management, sustainability, and public health in complex mountain terrains.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1489-1507"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental assessment of granular activated carbon's effect on horizontal gene transfer","authors":"Hamed Rasouli Sadabad, James S. G. Dooley, Heather M. Coleman, Barry O'Hagan, William J. Snelling and Joerg Arnscheidt","doi":"10.1039/D5EW01295C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5EW01295C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >With the total number of annual deaths related to antimicrobial resistance estimated to reach ten million globally by 2050, it is essential to evaluate the impact of every process such as adsorption on horizontal gene transfer. Activated carbon is the most frequently applied adsorbent for elimination of a broad range of chemicals like antibiotics from water. The current study assessed the influence of three types of granular activated carbons (GACs) on the transfer frequency of vancomycin resistance genes from donor to recipient <em>Enterococcus faecalis</em> strains. The bacterial attachment on the GAC surfaces was evaluated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) imagery, and a method was developed to correlate bacterial spatial proximity and cell-to-cell contacts on the GAC surface with gene transfer frequency in SEM micrographs. The results indicated that regardless of different surface properties, all studied GACs supported bacterial attachment and facilitated horizontal gene transfer. For example, loading 0.5 g of Filtrasorb-400 into 5 mL growth media increased the gene transfer frequency by more than 28 700 times, from 3.33 × 10<small>⁻⁹</small> (in the bulk) to 9.55 × 10<small>⁻⁵</small>. The response patterns of gene transfer frequency between bacteria and GAC dose were similar across GAC types but varied in amplitude. The normalized values of cell-to-cell contacts on the number of bacteria on a unit surface area of activated carbon showed a high correlation with its observed gene transfer frequency. Findings of this research emphasized the importance of considering adsorbents' (<em>e.g.</em> activated carbon) contribution in stimulation of horizontal gene transfer, along with operational parameters in designing water treatment processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":75,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology","volume":" 5","pages":" 1435-1451"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ew/d5ew01295c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}