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• Small AGS (212–1000 μm) emitted higher N2O than large AGS (>1000 μm) at DO >2 mgO2/L. • Higher DO levels resulted in elevated N2O emissions for both small and large size fractions. • N2O reductase genes (nosZ) were more abundant in smaller granules. • Nitrification exhibited a positive correlation with N2O emission rates across all granule sizes. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are known to produce nitrous oxide (N 2 O), a greenhouse gas which has a ∼300 times higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide. In this research, we studied N 2 O emissions from different sizes of AGS developed at a dissolved oxygen (DO) level of 2 mgO 2 /L while exposing them to disturbances at various DO concentrations ranging from 1 to 4 mgO 2 /L. Five different AGS size classes were studied: 212–600 µm, 600–1000 µm, 1000–1400 µm, 1400–2000 µm, and > 2000 µm. Metagenomic data showed N 2 O reductase genes (nosZ) were more abundant in the smaller AGS sizes which aligned with the observation of higher N 2 O reduction rates in small AGS under anaerobic conditions. However, when oxygen was present, the activity measurements of N 2 O emission showed an opposite trend compared to metagenomic data, smaller AGS (212 to 1000 µm) emitted significantly higher N 2 O (p < 0.05) than larger AGS (1000 µm to >2000 µm) at DO of 2, 3, and 4 mgO 2 /L. The N 2 O emission rate showed positive correlation with both oxygen levels and nitrification rate. This pattern indicates a connection between N 2 O emission and nitrification. In addition, the data suggested the penetration of oxygen into the anoxic zone of granules might have hindered nitrous oxide reduction, resulting in incomplete denitrification stopping at N 2 O and consequently contributing to an increase in N 2 O emissions. This work sets the stage to better understand the impacts of AGS size on N 2 O emissions in WWTPs under different disturbance of DO conditions, and thus ensure that wastewater treatment will comply with possible future regulations demanding lowering greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat climate change. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) occurred in swine wastewater treatment plants. • ANAMMOX granules formed under DO=0.2∼0.5 mg/L, C/ N <0.6. • DO <0.006 mg/L and C/ N >1.8 inhibit the proliferation of ANAMMOX. • Candidatus Brocadia sp.had the highest correlation with Terrimonas sp. and Dokdonella sp. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX)-mediated system is a cost-effective green nitrogen removal process. However, there are few examples of successful application of this advanced wastewater denitrification process in wastewater treatment plants, and the understanding of how to implement anaerobic ammonia oxidation process in full-scale is still limited. In this study, it was found that the abundance of anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) in the two livestock wastewater plants named J1 and J2, respectively, showed diametrically opposed trends of waxing and waning with time. The microbial communities of the activated sludge in the two plants at different time were sampled and analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Structural equation models (SEMs) were used to reveal the key factors affecting the realization of the ANAMMOX. Changes in the concentration of dissolved oxygen and C/N had a significant effect on the relative abundance of anaerobic ammonia oxidation bacteria (AnAOB). The low concentration of DO (0.2∼0.5 mg/L) could inhibit the activity of nitrifying bacteria (NOB) to achieve partial oxidation of ammonia nitrogen and provide sufficient substrate for the growth of AnAOB, similar to the CANON (Completely Autotrophic Nitrogen removal Over Nitrite). Unlike CANON, heterotrophic denitrification is also a particularly critical part of the livestock wastewater treatment, and a suitable C/N of about 0.6 could reduce the competition risk of heterotrophic microorganisms to AnAOB and ensure a good ecological niche for AnAOB. Based on the results of 16S rRNA and microbial co-occurrence networks, it was discovered that microorganisms in the sludge not only had a richer network interaction, but also achieved a mutually beneficial symbiotic interaction network among denitrifying bacteria (Pseudomonas sp., Terrimonas sp., Dokdonella sp.), AnAOB (Candidatus Brocadia sp.) at DO of 0.2∼0.5 mg/L and C/N of 0.6. Among the top 20 in abundance of genus level, AnAOB had a high relative abundance of 27.66%, followed by denitrifying bacteria of 3.67%, AOB of 0.64% and NOB of 0.26%, which is an essential indicator for the emergence of an AnAOB-dominated nitrogen removal cycle. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of dissolved oxygen and C/N regulation by analyzing the mechanism of ANAMMOX sludge extinction and growth in two plants under anthropogenic regulation of AnAOB in full-scale wastewater treatment systems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An annual CO2 efflux (FCO2) of 37.2 ± 29.0 gC m-2 yr-1 from Lake Qiandao. • FCO2 increased with increasing abundance of a terrestrial humic-like component. • Dissolved oxygen and pH declined with increasing terrestrial DOM input indicators. • pCO2 increased but δ13C-CO2 declined with increasing terrestrial DOM fluorescence. Terrestrial inputs and subsequent degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in lake ecosystems can result in rapid depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO). Inputs of terrestrial DOM including organic acids can also lead to decreases in pH. However, to date, few studies have investigated the linkages between terrestrial DOM inputs, DO and pH levels in the water column, and carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from lake ecosystems. Based on monthly field sampling campaigns across 100 sites in Lake Qiandao, a major man-made drinking water reservoir in China, from May 2020 to April 2021, we estimated an annual CO 2 efflux (F CO 2) of 37.2 ± 29.0 gC m−2 yr−1, corresponding to 0.02 ± 0.02 TgC yr−1 from this lake. F CO 2 increased significantly with decreasing DO, chlorophyll- a (Chl- a) and δ2H-H 2 O, while F CO 2 increased with increasing specific UV absorbance (SUVA 254) and a terrestrial humic-like component (C2). We found that DO concentration and pH declined with increasing terrestrial DOM inputs, i.e. increased SUVA 254 and terrestrial humic-like C2 levels. Vertical profile sampling revealed that the partial pressure of CO 2 (p CO 2) increased with increasing terrestrial DOM fluorescence (FDOM), while DO, pH, and δ13C-CO 2 declined with increasing terrestrial FDOM. These results highlight the importance of terrestrial DOM inputs in altering physico-chemical environments and fueling CO 2 emissions from this lake and potentially other aquatic ecosystems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bi dopant varied the impurity energy states and narrowed the band gap of CeO 2. • SPR effect of Ag0 promoted the adsorption of visible light and electron transfer. • Z-scheme heterostructure was constructed to promote O 2 •−-driven SMX degradation. • Excellent O 2 adsorption induced by abundant oxygen vacancies enhanced O 2 •− yield. Visible light photocatalysis is widely considered a sustainable approach to break down micropollutants without chemical addition. To promote the output of photogenerated carriers under visible light, a Z-scheme plasmonic photocatalyst Bi-CeO 2 /Ag0/BiO 2 was designed and fabricated to activate dissolved oxygen in water for micropollutant degradation. The doped Bi not only improved the separation of electron-hole, but also narrowed the band gap of CeO 2 to enhance its absorption of visible light. Notably, metallic silver (Ag0) works as an electronic transmission vehicle from Bi-CeO 2 to BiO 2 in a Z-scheme mechanism. Likewise, the surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag0 also enhanced the absorption of visible light. Furthermore, the Bi doping induced abundant surface oxygen vacancies on CeO 2 for enhanced capability and selectivity towards O 2 adsorption and activation, which favored the generation of O 2 •− by photogenerated electrons to degrade sulfamethoxazole, enrofloxacin, and bisphenol A. Theoretical calculation results also confirmed the O 2 •−-driven degradation pathway for sulfamethoxazole. Therefore, the Z-scheme Bi-CeO 2 /Ag0/BiO 2 not only extends the photocatalytic reactivity of CeO 2 -based catalysts to the visible light range, but also provides a chemical-free method to effectively degrade micropollutants. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Protein-like DOMs in sediment are likely to produce CH 4. • Humic-like DOMs in sediment are highly inclined to generate CO 2. • DOC remineralization in sediment may contribute to over 80% of CO 2 in surface water. • Hydrodynamics controls the GHG emission on a daily or weekly basis. • Chemical reaction becomes more critical for GHG emission in seasonal scale. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is one of the largest reactive reservoirs of carbon on earth. Saltmarshes play an essential role in shaping the fate of DOM and greenhouse gas (GHG) production in surface water and groundwater interactions in coastal areas. However, the coupling mechanism between DOM and GHG production is poorly understood. In this study, DOM in both surface water and porewater were analyzed by 3D excitation-emission-matrix spectroscopy under different seasonal and tidal conditions in a saltmarsh. Protein-like DOM was likely to produce CH 4 , while humic-like DOM tended to produce CO 2. CH 4 concentration was highly enriched in porewater because increasing fresh groundwater flow introduced small-sized protein-like DOM. Based on the mass balance model, >98.5% of CH 4 was oxidated to CO 2 in sediment-water interface. The degradation of sediment-derived DOC (especially humic-like DOM) contributes ∼80% of the total amount of CO 2 in surface water. Both hydrodynamics and chemical reactions are suggested to influence greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Hydrodynamics (e.g., tidal pumping) are controlling factors in short timescales (hourly/weekly) while chemical reactions become crucial in influencing DOM chemistry and related degradation rate on seasonal scales. These findings emphasize the importance of the coupling mechanism at different time scales between DOM characteristics and GHG emissions in saltmarshes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current application of clean water aeration test standards for wastewater treatment systems is reviewed with a focus on problematic interpretations and practices of the most commonly and internationally used standards, edited by the ASCE (USA), CEN (EU/EFTA), and DWA (Germany). Remedy is proposed for these practices, with a view to inspire revision of existing standards toward better understanding and achievement of test accuracy with regard to oxygen transfer rate. Themes are (i) the importance of mixing for testing and (ii) the importance of mixing for the relevance of standard oxygen transfer rate for the treatment process, (iii) loop reactor testing and the impact of aeration layout, the circulation time scale and dispersion, (iv) tapered aeration testing, (v) impact of probe response time, (vi) sulfite interference at low temperatures, (vii) the effective depth concept for the dissolved oxygen saturation concentration, and standard corrections to the in situ saturation concentration, (viii) uncertainty estimates on oxygen transfer capacity and efficiency, and (ix) the prospect for simplification and harmonization among existing standards. It is suggested that tests based on an improved understanding of the effects of mixing, probe lag, sulfite oxidation kinetics, and fluctuations, will eventually result in the reduction of costly oversizing of aeration systems and improve the understanding of aeration system design and oxygen transfer rate vis-a-vis energy consumption and substrate conversion in biological wastewater treatment. • The bias of standard aeration tests is often substantial and counterproductive. • Mixing effects should be included in test analysis and process design. • Mixing can be measured in loop reactors, other systems are to follow. • Probe characteristics can easily be included in the analysis if needed. • The large bias caused by sulfite in low water temperature tests can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) on the degradation of methanol by ultraviolet (UV) light at 185 nm (UV-185) was examined in this study. The experiments were conducted using a bench-scale experimental apparatus that was operated under continuous conditions. In the control tests with various DO conditions, it was confirmed that UV irradiation of water without methanol produced approximately 54 μg/L of H 2 O 2 and removed 15%–90% of the DO. The production of H 2 O 2 was affected by the mixing conditions within the UV reactor and the dose of UV. The degradation efficiency of methanol by UV-185 irradiation improved linearly with increasing DO concentration, with more than 90% DO consumption. The maximum total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate was observed at 100 μg/L DO and 433 mW·sec/cm2, the highest DO and dosage conditions in this study. The production of H 2 O 2 was also affected by DO concentration in the feed water, especially at the high UV dosage, in which lower H 2 O 2 production was observed at higher DO. Image 1 • 185 nm UV irradiated to ultra pure water induced the formation of H 2 O 2 along with the consumption of dissolved oxygen (DO). • DO concentration in water enhanced the removal efficiency of methanol by UV irradiation. • Mixing condition of a reactor was an important factor for deciding the performance of UV oxidation. • Formation of H 2 O 2 was affected by initial methanol and DO concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As obligate anaerobes, anammox bacteria are sensitive to oxygen, which might hinder the maximization of anammox activity. However, there are very few effective strategies to rapidly recover anammox activity after its deterioration under exposure of oxygen. In this study, the activity recovery of anammox bacteria encountering dissolved oxygen (DO) exposure (0.2 and 2.0 mg L−1) were compared by three strategies in short-term experiments, nZVI, Fe(II) dosing, and N 2 purging. nZVI is more effective in recovering anammox activity with a high DO exposure (2 mg L−1), compared to a low DO exposure (0.2 mg L−1). After inhibiting by 2.0 mg L−1 DO, anammox activity recovery (normalized to the control) was ranked in the order of nZVI (5 mg L−1) addition (63 ± 8.2%) > Fe(II) (5 mg L−1) addition (41 ± 8.0%) >N 2 purging (39 ± 4.0%). In contrast to Fe(II) ion additions, the shell structure of nZVI combined with the buffering effect of biomass-extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) prevented the sharp pH variation and excessive dissolved Fe(II)/Fe(III) in solution. Under such circumstances, nZVI addition (5 and 25 mg L−1) increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) to a moderate level (<200%), which might be responsible for the better activity recovery of anammox than that of Fe(II) addition and N 2 purging. Specifically, 5 mg L−1 nZVI dosage moderately enhanced the intracellular O 2 − production (∼150% of the control) after scavenging 2.0 mg L−1 DO, and the anammox activity recovered better than that of both 5 and 25 mg L−1 Fe(II) ions additions. However, high dosage nZVI (75 mg L−1) inhibited anammox activity in spite of low or high DO exposure. Our findings elucidate that appropriate amount of nZVI (short-term dosing) can rapidly recover anammox activity when anammox bacteria encountering oxygen exposure accidentally and could be useful in facilitating the robust operation of anammox-based processes. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Ranking of anammox recovery was nZVI > Fe(II) >N 2 after 2 mg L−1 DO shocks. • Low dose nZVI promotes anammox activity by moderate O 2 − increase and DO depletion. • High dose of nZVI/Fe(II) inhibits anammox activity by severe O 2 − increase. • Free Fe(II)/Fe(III) ions regulate intracellular Fenton reaction and O 2 − level. • Mechanism of intracellular O 2 − production after adding nZVI/Fe(II) was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The biological degradation of many trace organic compounds has been reported to be strongly redox dependent. The traditional characterization of redox conditions using the succession of inorganic electron acceptors such as dissolved oxygen and nitrate falls short in accurately describing the critical transition state between oxic and suboxic conditions. Novel monitoring strategies using intrinsic redox tracers might be suitable to close that gap. This study investigated the potential use of the successive biological transformation of the iodinated contrast medium iopromide as an intrinsic tracer of prevailing redox conditions in biofiltration systems. Iopromide degradation in biofiltration systems was monitored by quantifying twelve known biological transformation products formed under oxic conditions. A novel dimensionless parameter (T IOP) was introduced as a measure for the successive transformation of iopromide. A strong correlation between the consumption of dissolved oxygen and iopromide transformation emphasized the importance of general microbial activity on iopromide degradation. However, results disproved a direct correlation between oxic (>1 mg/L O 2) and suboxic (<1 mg/L O 2) conditions and the degree of iopromide transformation. Results indicated that besides redox conditions also the availability of biodegradable organic substrate affects the degree of iopromide transformation. Similar behavior was found for the compounds gabapentin and benzotriazole, while the oxic degradation of metoprolol remained stable under varying substrate conditions. Highlights • Successive biotransformation of iopromide in biofiltration systems. • Substrate availability affects degree of iopromide biotransformation. • No direct correlation between redox conditions and iopromide biotransformation. • Different chemicals reveal individual degradation patterns in biofiltration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The solar/chlorine process produces multiple reactive species by solar photolysis of chlorine, which can be used as an energy-efficient technology for water treatment. This study investigated the effects of pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) on the degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and on the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in the solar/chlorine system. The degradation of 24 structurally diverse PPCPs was enhanced appreciably in the solar/chlorine system compared to solar irradiation and dark chlorination. The reactive species in the solar/chlorine system were identified to be hydroxyl radicals (HO), reactive chlorine species (RCS, i.e., Cl and ClO) and ozone. With increasing pH from 6 to 8, the steady-state concentrations of HO and Cl decreased from 1.23 × 10−14 M to 4.79 × 10−15 M and from 9.80 × 10−16 M to 4.31 × 10−16 M, respectively, whereas that of ClO increased from 5.30 × 10−14 M to 2.68 × 10−13 M and the exposure of ozone increased from 0.44 μM min to 1.01 μM min in 90 min. Accordingly, the removal efficiencies of 6 PPCPs decreased and 11 PPCPs increased. The decreased removal of PPCPs with increasing pH was due to the decrease in HO and Cl , while the increased removal was attributed to the increased ClO and ozone. The presence of DO enhanced the degradation of most PPCPs, indicating the role of ozone on the degradation. The formation of total organic chlorine (TOCl) and known DBPs was enhanced by 60.7% and 159.4%, respectively, in the solar/chlorine system compared to chlorination in a simulated drinking water containing 2.5 mg L−1 natural organic matter (NOM). As the pH rose from 6 to 8, TOCl formation decreased by 16.2%, while that of known DBPs increased by 58.6% in solar/chlorine. The absence of DO slightly suppressed the formation of TOCl and known DBPs. This study illustrated the significant role of RCS in the solar/chlorine system, which enhanced the degradation of micropollutants but increased the formation of chlorinated DBPs. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Effects of pH and DO on PPCP degradation and DBP formation in solar/chlorine were studied. • Solar/chlorine showed good performance for the abatement of structurally diverse PPCPs. • Increasing pH decreased HO and Cl , but enhanced ClO and ozone. • The presence of DO enhanced the degradation of most PPCPs. • The formation of TOCl and known DBPs was enhanced in solar/chlorine, but not for toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Dissolved oxygen is a key player in water quality. Stratified water bodies show distinct vertical patterns of oxygen concentration, which can originate from physical, chemical or biological processes. We observed a pronounced metalimnetic oxygen minimum in the low-nutrient Rappbode Reservoir, Germany. Contrary to the situation in the hypolimnion, measurements of lateral gradients excluded the sediment contact zone from the major sources of oxygen depletion for the metalimnetic oxygen minimum. Instead, the minimum was the result of locally enhanced oxygen consumption in the open water body. A follow-up monitoring included multiple chlorophyll a fluorescence sensors with high temporal and vertical resolution to detect and document the evolution of phytoplankton. While chlorophyll fluorescence sensors with multiple channels detected a mass development of the phycoerythrin-rich cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens in the metalimnion, this species was overlooked by the commonly used single-channel chlorophyll sensor. The survey indicated that the waning P. rubescens fluorescence was responsible for the oxygen minimum in the metalimnion. We hypothesize that pelagic processes, i.e., either oxygen use through decomposition of dead organic material originating from P. rubescens or P. rubescens extending its respiration beyond its photosynthetic activity, induced the metalimnetic oxygen minimum. The deeper understanding of the oxygen dynamics is mandatory for optimizing reservoir management. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A metalimnetic oxygen minimum (MOM) down to 40% saturation was observed in summer. • The MOM was not imported from the sediment at the side walls. • The MOM was a consequence of pelagic processes, such as respiration in the metalimnion. • We hypothesize that Planktothrix rubescens in the metalimnion caused the MOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To scale up microbial fuel cells (MFCs), larger cathodes need to be developed that can use air directly, rather than dissolved oxygen, and have good electrochemical performance. A new type of cathode design was examined here that uses a "window-pane" approach with fifteen smaller cathodes welded to a single conductive metal sheet to maintain good electrical conductivity across the cathode with an increase in total area. Abiotic electrochemical tests were conducted to evaluate the impact of the cathode size (exposed areas of 7 cm2, 33 cm2, and 6200 cm2) on performance for all cathodes having the same active catalyst material. Increasing the size of the exposed area of the electrodes to the electrolyte from 7 cm2 to 33 cm2 (a single cathode panel) decreased the cathode potential by 5%, and a further increase in size to 6200 cm2 using the multi-panel cathode reduced the electrode potential by 55% (at 0.6 A m−2), in a 50 mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS). In 85 L MFC tests with the largest cathode using wastewater as a fuel, the maximum power density based on polarization data was 0.083 ± 0.006 W m−2 using 22 brush anodes to fully cover the cathode, and 0.061 ± 0.003 W m−2 with 8 brush anodes (40% of cathode projected area) compared to 0.304 ± 0.009 W m−2 obtained in the 28 mL MFC. Recovering power from large MFCs will therefore be challenging, but several approaches identified in this study can be pursued to maintain performance when increasing the size of the electrodes. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Window-pane 0.62 m2 cathode successfully installed in 85 L MFC. • The large 15-panel cathode had lower abiotic performance than smaller cathodes. • Power density of 0.083 ± 0.006 W m−2 was obtained using wastewater as a fuel. • Maintaining full coverage of the electrodes maximized the power production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Although the adverse impacts of emerging nanoparticles (NPs) on the biological nitrogen removal (BNR) process have been broadly reported, the adaptive responses of NP-impaired nitrifiers and the related mechanisms have seldom been addressed to date. Here, we systematically explored the adaption and recovery capacities of the ammonia oxidizer Nitrosomonas europae a under chronic TiO 2 NP exposure and different dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions at the physiological and transcriptional levels in a chemostat reactor. N. europae a cells adapted to 50 mg/L TiO 2 NP exposure after 40-d incubation and the inhibited cell growth, membrane integrity, nitritation rate, and ammonia monooxygenase activity all recovered regardless of the DO concentrations. Transmission electron microscope imaging indicated the remission of the membrane distortion after the cells' 40-d adaption to the NP exposure. The microarray results further suggested that the metabolic processes associated with the membrane repair were pivotal for cellular adaption/recovery, such as the membrane efflux for toxicant exclusion, the structural preservation or stabilization, and the osmotic equilibrium adjustment. In addition, diverse metabolic and stress-defense pathways, including aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, respiratory chain, ATP production, toxin-antitoxin 'stress-fighting', and DNA repair were activated for the cellular adaption coupled with the metabolic activity recovery, probably via recovering the energy production/conversion efficiency and mediating the non-photooxidative stress. Finally, low DO (0.5 mg/L) incubated cells were more susceptible to TiO 2 NP exposure and required more time to adapt to and recover from the stress, which was probably due to the stimulation limitation of the oxygen-dependent energy metabolism with a lower oxygen supply. The findings of this study provide new insights into NP contamination control and management adjustments during the BNR process. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Cells adapted to chronic NP stress and all the metabolic activities recovered. • Membrane repair associated regulations were pivotal for cellular adaption. • Diverse metabolic and stress-defense pathways were activated for cell recovery. • Low DO condition compromised NP impaired cells' resistance and adaption capacities. • Stimulation limitation of respiratory chain accounted for the compromised capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To enhance the advanced oxidation process based on persulfate, CuO was introduced into the Fe2+/PS system to achieve a synergistic effect between Fe and Cu. Results showed that Fe2+ was able to adsorb onto the CuO surface to form Fe(II) and further reduced Cu(II) into Cu(I), which can further release into the solution to participate in oxidation reactions. In this case, SO 4 ·− can be generated via Fe2+ and Cu+ reactions with PS and ·OH from Cu+ reaction with dissolved oxygen (DO). The degradation efficiency of APAP was studied under the optimal condition (initial pH 6.5, PS = 0.8 g L−1, Fe2+ = 0.7 mM, CuO = 0.3 g L−1), and the results indicated that the Fe2+/CuO/PS system can achieve a higher degradation rate of APAP (92% within 90 min) rather than Fe2+/PS and CuO/PS system (79% and 10%). Quenching experiment was performed to verify the active radicals in the Fe2+/CuO/PS system. Sulfate and hydroxyl radicals were generated in the Fe2+/CuO/PS system. Besides, some critical factors, such as Fe2+ concentration, catalyst dosage, PS concentration, initial pH (buffers and nonbuffers), and dissolved oxygen were evaluated in bath experiments. Results indicated that dissolved oxygen was essential in the Fe2+/CuO/PS system. APAP degradation experiments were conducted in surface water, and the intermediates were detected via GC-MS. The results indicated that the Fe2+/CuO/PS system is effective in the treatment of APAP in natural waters. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • The adding of CuO in homogeneous persulfate system was enhanced the removal rate of APAP. • Valence state transformation among Fe and Cu was the main synergistic effect. • Dissolved oxygen has significant influence on Fe2+/CuO/PS system. • Scavenge experiment proved SO 4 ·– and ·OH were both active radical in system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In aquatic ecosystems, ammonium is one of the dominant substances in the effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants and its impact has been widely explored as it is thought, in its toxic form (NH 3), to cause stress on organisms. Little is, however, known about its potential effect on the release of phosphorus (P) from the sediment. In a two-month mesocosm (150 L) experiment, we tested if high loading of ammonium promotes sediment P release and investigated the dominant underlying mechanisms. A gradient of five target ammonium loading levels was used by adding NH 4 Cl fertilizer: no addition/control (N0), 3 (N1), 5 (N2), 10 (N3), and 21 (N4) mg NH 4 Cl L−1 (NH 4 Cl expressed as nitrogen). We found that: 1) significant sediment P release for N3 and N4 but minor release or retention for N0, N1, and N2 were detected both by the total phosphorus concentration (TP) in the overlying water and in situ measurements of diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) at the sediment-water interface; 2) overall, TP correlated significantly and positively with total nitrogen (TN) concentrations in the water. Further correlation and path analyses suggested that stimulated alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) was likely the dominant mechanisms behind the ammonium-induced sediment P release and decreased dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (an approximate reduction from 9.2 to 6.6 mg O2 L−1) was likely a contributing factor, particularly in the beginning of the experiment. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • High ammonium loading promoted sediment phosphorus release. • High ammonium increased alkaline phosphatase activity and decreased oxygen. • Phosphorus release was caused mainly by increased alkaline phosphatase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Dissolved oxygen within water column is a key variable to characterize the water quality. Water quality modeling has been extensively developed for decades. However, complex biogeochemical cycles are described using a high number of parameters. Hence, parameters' uncertainty constitutes a major problem in the application of these models. Sensitivity analysis allows the identification of the most influential parameters in a model and a better understanding of the governing processes. This paper presents a time-dependent sensitivity analysis for dissolved oxygen using Morris and Sobol methods combined with a functional principal components analysis for dimension reduction. The aim of this study is to identify the most important parameters of C-RIVE model in different trophic contexts and to understand the biogeochemical functioning of river systems. The results indicate that the maintenance respiration of phytoplankton and the photosynthetic parameters (i.e. photosynthetic capacity, the maximal photosynthesis rate and light extinction coefficients) are the most influential parameters during algal blooms. When the river system becomes heterotrophic, the bacterial activities (moderate and high temperature) and the reaeration coefficients (low temperature) affect the most the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water column. An anthropogenic effect (ship navigation) on variation of dissolved oxygen concentration has been identified and the role of this anthropogenic effect evolves with hydrological and trophic conditions. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Sensitivity Analysis of a biogeochemical model under various hydro-ecological states. • Two global sensitivity techniques are coupled with a fPCA. • Dissolved oxygen is most sensitive to the maintenance respiration during algal bloom. • Out of bloom, bacterial dynamics is predominant at moderate and high temperatures. • Oxygen reaeration by river navigation affects mostly dissolved oxygen in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited concentrations of oxygen in constructed wetlands (CWs) have inhibited their ability to remove emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) at μg/L or ng/L levels. Manganese (Mn) oxides were proposed as a solution, as they are powerful oxidants with strong adsorptive capabilities. In the present study, triclosan (TCS) was selected as a typical EOC, and CW microcosms with Mn oxides (birnessite) coated sand (B-CWs) and without (C-CWs) were developed to test the removal capacities of TCS and common nutrients. We found that the addition of Mn oxides coated sand significantly improved removal efficiencies of TCS, NH 4 -N, COD, NO 3 -N and TP ( P  < 0.05). The average concentration of Mn(II) effluent was 0.036 mg L −1 , mostly lower than the drinking water limit. To gain insight into the mechanisms of pollution removal, Mn transformation, dissolved oxygen (DO) distribution, bacterial abundance, and microbial community composition were also investigated. Maximum Mn(II) was detected at 20 cm height of the B-CWs in anoxic zone. Although Mn-oxidizing bacteria existed in the layer of 30–50 cm with 10 3 –10 4  CFU g −1 dry substate, Mn oxides were only detected at height from 40 to 50 cm with rich oxygen in B-CW. The quantities of bacterial 16S rRNA, amoA , narG and nosZ were not significantly different between two systems ( P  > 0.05), while Illumina high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that the abundance of denitrifying bacteria was significant higher in B-CWs, and the abundance of Gammaproteobacteria that have a recognized role in Mn transformation were significantly increased. The results indicated that Mn oxides could enhance TCS and common pollutants removal in both anoxic and aerobic areas through the recycling of Mn between Mn(II) and biogenic Mn oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The distribution of 3CDOM* concentration was assessed on a global scale. • Global databases of solar irradiation and lakes characteristics were used. • The Nordic latitudes show the highest values of [3CDOM*] during summer. • Photodegradation of clofibric acid was modelled in world's lakes. • Application of photochemical mapping to ecotoxicological risk assessment is shown. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) plays key role as photosensitizer in sunlit surface-water environments, and it is deeply involved in the photodegradation of contaminants. It has recently been shown that sunlight absorption by CDOM can be conveniently approximated based on its monochromatic absorption at 560 nm. Here we show that such an approximation allows for the assessment of CDOM photoreactions on a wide global scale and, particularly, in the latitude belt between 60°S and 60°N. Global lake databases are currently incomplete as far as water chemistry is concerned, but estimates of the content of organic matter are available. With such data it is possible to assess global steady-state concentrations of CDOM triplet states (3CDOM*), which are predicted to reach particularly high values at Nordic latitudes during summer, due to a combination of high sunlight irradiance and elevated content of organic matter. For the first time to our knowledge, we are able to model an indirect photochemistry process in inland waters around the globe. Implications are discussed for the phototransformation of a contaminant that is mainly degraded by reaction with 3CDOM* (clofibric acid, lipid regulator metabolite), and for the formation of known products on a wide geographic scale. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic waste residues can be hydrothermally treated to produce organic acid rich liquors. These hydrothermal liquors are a potential feedstock for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production. We investigated the effect of dissolved oxygen concentration and substrate feeding regimes on PHA accumulation and yield using two hydrothermal liquors derived from a mixture of primary and secondary municipal wastewater treatment sludge and food waste. The enriched culture accumulated a maximum of 41% PHA of cell dry weight within 7 h; which is among the highest reported for N and P rich hydrothermal liquors. Recovered PHA was 77% polyhydroxybutyrate and 23% polyhydroxyvalerate by mass. The families Rhodocyclaceae (84%) and Saprospiraceae (20.5%) were the dominant Proteobacteria (73%) in the enriched culture. The third most abundant bacterial genus, Bdellovibrio , includes species of known predators of PHA producers which may lead to suboptimal PHA accumulation. The PHA yield was directly proportional to DO concentration for ammonia stripped liquor (ASL) and inversely proportional to DO concentration for low strength liquor (LSL). The highest yield of 0.50 Cmol PHA/Cmol substrate was obtained for ASL at 25% DO saturation. A progressively increasing substrate feeding regime resulted in increased PHA yields. These findings demonstrate that substrate feeding regime and oxygen concentration can be used to control the PHA yield and accumulation rate thereby enhancing PHA production viability from nutrient rich biomass streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariate statistical analysis was applied to investigate the dependencies and underlying patterns between N 2 O emissions and online operational variables (dissolved oxygen and nitrogen component concentrations, temperature and influent flow-rate) during biological nitrogen removal from wastewater. The system under study was a full-scale reactor, for which hourly sensor data were available. The 15-month long monitoring campaign was divided into 10 sub-periods based on the profile of N 2 O emissions, using Binary Segmentation. The dependencies between operating variables and N 2 O emissions fluctuated according to Spearman's rank correlation. The correlation between N 2 O emissions and nitrite concentrations ranged between 0.51 and 0.78. Correlation >0.7 between N 2 O emissions and nitrate concentrations was observed at sub-periods with average temperature lower than 12 °C. Hierarchical k-means clustering and principal component analysis linked N 2 O emission peaks with precipitation events and ammonium concentrations higher than 2 mg/L, especially in sub-periods characterized by low N 2 O fluxes. Additionally, the highest ranges of measured N 2 O fluxes belonged to clusters corresponding with NO 3 -N concentration less than 1 mg/L in the upstream plug-flow reactor (middle of oxic zone), indicating slow nitrification rates. The results showed that the range of N 2 O emissions partially depends on the prior behavior of the system. The principal component analysis validated the findings from the clustering analysis and showed that ammonium, nitrate, nitrite and temperature explained a considerable percentage of the variance in the system for the majority of the sub-periods. The applied statistical methods, linked the different ranges of emissions with the system variables, provided insights on the effect of operating conditions on N 2 O emissions in each sub-period and can be integrated into N 2 O emissions data processing at wastewater treatment plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfate radical ( S O 4 . − )-induced oxidation is an important technology in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the removal of pollutants. To date, few studies have assessed the effects of dissolved oxygen (DO) on the S O 4 . − -induced oxidation of organic micro-pollutants. In the present work, a quantum chemical calculation was used to investigate the influence of the external oxygen molecule on the Gibbs free energy ( G p o l l u t a n t ) and HOMO-LUMO gap ( Δ E ) of 15 organic micro-pollutants representing four chemical categories. Several thermodynamic and statistical models were combined with the data from the quantum chemical calculation to illustrate the impact of DO on the oxidation of organic micro-pollutants by S O 4 . − . Results indicated that the external oxygen molecule increased G p o l l u t a n t of all studied chemicals, which implies DO has the potential to decrease the energy barrier of the S O 4 . − -induced oxidation and shift the chemical equilibrium of the reaction towards the side of products. From the perspective of kinetics, DO can accelerate the oxidation by decreasing Δ E of organic micro-pollutants. In addition, changes of G p o l l u t a n t and Δ E of the S O 4 . − -induced oxidation were both significantly different between open-chain and aromatic chemicals, and these differences were partially attributed to the difference of polarizability of these two types of chemicals. Furthermore, we revealed that all changes of G p o l l u t a n t and Δ E induced by DO were dependent on the DO content. Our study emphasizes the significance of DO on the oxidation of organic micro-pollutants by S O 4 . − , and also provides a theoretical method to study the effect of components in wastewater on removal of organic pollutants in AOPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfide-modified nanoscale zero-valent iron (S/NZVI) has been considered as an efficient material to degrade trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater. However, some critical factors influencing the dechlorination of TCE by S/NZVI have not been investigated clearly. In this study, the effects of Fe/S molar ratio, initial pH, dissolved oxygen and particle aging on TCE dechlorination by S/NZVI (using dithionite as sulfidation reagent) were studied. Besides, the feasibility of reactivation of the aged-NZVI by sulfidation treatment was looked into. The results show that the Fe/S molar ratio and initial pH significantly influenced the TCE dechlorination, and a higher TCE dechlorination was observed at Fe/S molar ratio of ∼60 under alkaline condition. Spectroscopic analyses demonstrate that the enhanced TCE dechlorination was associated with the presence of FeS on the surface of S/NZVI. Dissolved oxygen had little effect on TCE dechlorination by S/NZVI, revealing that the FeS layer could be able to alleviate the surface passivation of NZVI caused by oxidation. Aging of S/NZVI up to 10–20 d only slightly decreased the dechlorination efficiency of TCE. Although an obvious drop in dechorination efficiency was observed for the S/NZVI aged for 30 d, it still exhibited a higher reactivity than the bare NZVI. This indicates that sulfidation of NZVI did prolong its lifetime. Additionally, sulfidation treatment was used to reactivate the aged NZVI, and the results show that the reactivated NZVI even had higher reactivity than the fresh NZVI, suggesting that sulfidation treatment would be a promising method to reactivate the aged NZVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) has not only improved our understanding of global methane and nitrogen cycles, but also provided new technology options for removal of nitrate from nitrate-contaminated water. Previous studies have demonstrated DAMO organisms could remove nitrate and nitrite from wastewater under strictly anaerobically conditions. In the study, we investigate the feasibility of nitrate removal from groundwater, which contains dissolved oxygen in addition to nitrate. A membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR), inoculated with DAMO co-culture, was capable of treating synthetic groundwater containing highly contaminated nitrate (50  mg N/L) and oxygen (7–9 mg O 2 /L), with a maximum volumetric nitrate removal rate of 45 mg N/L-d. Accumulations of acetate and propionate were observed in some transient periods, indicating the possible involvement of acetate and propionate as intermediates in methane oxidation. The 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that Candidatus Methylomirabilis, a known bacterial DAMO organism able to couple nitrite reduction with anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), was the dominant population. No archaeal DAMO organisms that are capable of coupling nitrate to AOM were observed, however, considerable amount of denitrifiers were developed in this system. Based on known metabolisms of these microorganisms and a series of batch studies, it was assumed that methane was oxidized into volatile fatty acids (VFAs) under oxygen-limiting conditions, then the generated VFAs served as carbon sources for these heterotrophic denitrifiers to remove nitrate. This study offers a potential technology for nitrate removal from groundwater by DAMO process in MBfR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switch of source water may induce “red water” episodes. This study investigated the impacts of water quality on iron release, dissolved oxygen consumption (ΔDO), corrosion scale evolution and bacterial community succession in cast iron pipes used for drinking water distribution at pilot scale, and proposed a source water switch strategy accordingly. Three sets of old cast iron pipe section (named BP, SP and GP) were excavated on site and assembled in a test base, which had historically transported blended water, surface water and groundwater, respectively. Results indicate that an increasing Cl − or SO 4 2− concentration accelerated iron release, but alkalinity and calcium hardness exhibited an opposite tendency. Disinfectant shift from free chlorine to monochloramine slightly inhibited iron release, while the impact of peroxymonosulfate depended on the source water historically transported in the test pipes. The ΔDO was highly consistent with iron release in all three pipe systems. The mass ratio of magnetite to goethite in the corrosion scales of SP was higher than those of BP and GP and kept almost unchanged over the whole operation period. Siderite and calcite formation confirmed that an increasing alkalinity and hardness inhibited iron release. Iron-reducing bacteria decreased in the BP but increased in the SP and GP; meanwhile, sulfur-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing and iron oxidizing bacteria increased in all three pipe systems. To avoid the occurrence of “red water”, a source water switch strategy was proposed based on the difference between local and foreign water qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NDHA model comprehensively describes nitrous oxide (N 2 O) producing pathways by both autotrophic ammonium oxidizing and heterotrophic bacteria. The model was calibrated via a set of targeted extant respirometric assays using enriched nitrifying biomass from a lab-scale reactor. Biomass response to ammonium, hydroxylamine, nitrite and N 2 O additions under aerobic and anaerobic conditions were tracked with continuous measurement of dissolved oxygen (DO) and N 2 O. The sequential addition of substrate pulses allowed the isolation of oxygen-consuming processes. The parameters to be estimated were determined by the information content of the datasets using identifiability analysis. Dynamic DO profiles were used to calibrate five parameters corresponding to endogenous, nitrite oxidation and ammonium oxidation processes. The subsequent N 2 O calibration was not significantly affected by the uncertainty propagated from the DO calibration because of the high accuracy of the estimates. Five parameters describing the individual contribution of three biological N 2 O pathways were estimated accurately (variance/mean < 10% for all estimated parameters). The NDHA model response was evaluated with statistical metrics (F-test, autocorrelation function). The 95% confidence intervals of DO and N 2 O predictions based on the uncertainty obtained during calibration are studied for the first time. The measured data fall within the 95% confidence interval of the predictions, indicating a good model description. Overall, accurate parameter estimation and identifiability analysis of ammonium removal significantly decreases the uncertainty propagated to N 2 O production, which is expected to benefit N 2 O model discrimination studies and reliable full scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic properties of nanoparticles (e.g., nano zero valent iron, nZVI) have been used to effectively treat a wide range of environmental contaminants. Emerging contaminants such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are susceptible to degradation by nanoparticles. Despite extensive investigations, questions remain on the transformation mechanism on the nZVI surface under different environmental conditions (redox and pH). Furthermore, in terms of the large-scale requirement for nanomaterials in field applications, the effect of polymer-stabilization used by commercial vendors on the above processes is unclear. To address these factors, we investigated the degradation of a model EDC, the steroidal estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE 2 ), by commercially sourced nZVI at pH 3, 5 and 7 under different oxygen conditions. Following the use of radical scavengers, an assessment of the EE 2 transformation products shows that under nitrogen purging direct reduction of EE 2 by nZVI occurred at all pHs. The radicals transforming EE 2 in the absence of purging and upon air purging were similar for a given pH, but the dominant radical varied with pH. Upon air purging, EE 2 was transformed by the same radical species as the non-purged system at the same respective pH, but the degradation rate was lower with more oxygen – most likely due to faster nZVI oxidation upon aeration, coupled with radical scavenging. The dominant radicals were OH at pH 3 and O 2 − at pH 5, and while neither radical was involved at pH 7, no conclusive inferences could be made on the actual radical involved at pH 7. Similar transformation products were observed without purging and upon air purging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real time control (RTC) is increasingly seen as a viable method to optimise the functioning of wastewater systems. Model exercises and case studies reported in literature claim a positive impact of RTC based on results without uncertainty analysis and flawed evaluation periods. This paper describes two integrated RTC strategies at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) Eindhoven, the Netherlands, that aim to improve the use of the available tanks at the WWTP and storage in the contributing catchments to reduce the impact on the receiving water. For the first time it is demonstrated that a significant improvement can be achieved through the application of RTC in practice. The Storm Tank Control is evaluated based on measurements and reduces the number of storm water settling tank discharges by 44% and the discharged volume by an estimated 33%, decreasing dissolved oxygen depletion in the river. The Primary Clarifier Control is evaluated based on model simulations. The maximum event NH4 concentration in the effluent reduced on average 19% for large events, while the load reduced 20%. For all 31 events the reductions are 11 and 4% respectively. Reductions are significant taking uncertainties into account, while using representative evaluation periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity can affect the performance of biological wastewater treatment in terms of nutrient removal. The effect of salt on aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process in terms of granulation and nutrient removal was examined in this study. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of salt (15 g/L NaCl) on granule formation and nutrient removal in AGS system started with flocculent sludge and operated at DO of 2.5 mg/L (phase I). In addition, experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of gradually increasing the salt concentration (2.5 g/L to 15 g/L NaCl) or increasing the DO level (2.5 mg/L to 8 mg/L) on nutrient removal in AGS system started with granular sludge (phase II) taken from an AGS reactor performing well in terms of N and P removal. Although the addition of salt in phase I did not affect the granulation process, it significantly affected nutrient removal due to inhibition of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and phosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). Increasing the DO to 8 mg/L or adapting granules by gradually increasing the salt concentration minimized the adverse effect of salt on nitrification (phase II). However, these strategies were not successful for mitigating the effect of salt on biological phosphorus removal. No nitrite accumulation occurred in all the reactors suggesting that inhibition of biological phosphorus removal was not due to the accumulation of nitrite as previously reported. Also, glycogen accumulating organisms were shown to be more tolerant to salt than PAO II, which was the dominant PAO clade detected in this study. Future studies comparing the salinity tolerance of different PAO clades are needed to further elucidate the effect of salt on PAOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most commonly used methods for sewer sulfide control involves dosing chemical agents to wastewater, which incurs high operational costs. Here, we propose and demonstrate a cost-effective and environmentally attractive approach to sewer sulfide control through urine separation and its subsequent conversion to nitrite prior to intermittent dosage to sewers. Urine collected from a male toilet urinal was fed to laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors. The reactors stably converted roughly 50% of the nitrogen in urine to nitrite, with high abundance (at 17.46%) of known ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) of the genus Nitrosomonas , and absence (below detection level) of typical nitrite-oxidizing bacteria of the genus Nitrospira , according to 454 pyrosequencing analysis. The stable nitrite production was achieved at both relatively high (1.0–2.0 mg/L) and low (0.2–0.3 mg/L) dissolved oxygen concentrations. Dosing tests in laboratory-scale sewer systems confirmed the sulfide control effectiveness of free nitrous acid generated from urine. Life cycle assessment indicated that, compared with commodity chemicals, nitrite/free nitrous acid (FNA) production from urine for sulfide control in sewers would lower the operational costs by approximately 2/3 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1/3 in 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combined use of partitioning gas tracers and conservative tracer are effective to evaluate dissolved gas transport in groundwater. • SF 6 and kr tracers are capable of providing information on effective porosity and linear velocity of the groundwater. • Observed dissolved gas tracers support the 2D analytical model for understanding the migration distance. • SF 6 and kr tracers prove to be effective in evaluating flow mechanisms in a CCS test site. In the present study, a single-well push-pull (SWPP) test was conducted with multi-component tracers, including inert gas (SF 6 and Kr) and uranine (conservative), to understand the volatile/semi-volatile component transport characteristics in the groundwater system. In an SWPP test, it is essential to obtain an initial breakthrough curve (BTC) of the inert gas concentration at the beginning of the pulling stage to analyze the hydraulic properties of the groundwater system. As a result of the SWPP test using a proposed method in this study, physicochemical parameters of the groundwater and BTC of gas tracers and uranine were acquired simultaneously and successfully. In addition, on-site measurements of uranine, p CO 2 , and water quality data, such as electrical conductivity (EC), temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen, were undertaken. Modification of an existing pCO 2 measuring system allowed the gas samples to be collected, transported, and analyzed for inert gas components within a few hours. As a result, reliable and interpretable data with a recovery ratio of 26%, 85%, and 95% for SF 6, Kr, and uranine, respectively, were obtained. The differences in the recovery ratio were utilized to identify the environmental system, whether it contains gas inside the isolated system (closed) or not (open), and to understand plume behavior characteristics in the experimental zone. By applying a two-dimensional advection-dispersion model to the acquired tracer test data and comparing the observed and computed tracer concentrations, helpful information was obtained on the hydraulic and transport characteristics of the targeted zone. This method can be extended to the design of dissolved CO 2 transport monitoring of an aquifer above a CCS site. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeration in biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes accounts for nearly half of the total electricity costs at many wastewater treatment plants. Even though conventional BNR processes are usually operated to have aerated zones with high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, recent research has shown that nitrification can be maintained using very low-DO concentrations (e.g., below 0.2 mg O 2 /L), and therefore, it may be possible to reduce energy use and costs in BNR facilities by decreasing aeration. However, the effect of reduced aeration on enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is not understood. In this study, we investigated, at the pilot-scale level, the effect of using minimal aeration on the performance of an EBPR process. Over a 16-month operational period, we performed stepwise decreases in aeration, reaching an average DO concentration of 0.33 mg O 2 /L with stable operation and nearly 90% phosphorus removal. Under these low-DO conditions, nitrification efficiency was maintained, and nearly 70% of the nitrogen was denitrified, without the need for internal recycling of high nitrate aeration basin effluent to the anoxic zone. At the lowest DO conditions used, we estimate a 25% reduction in energy use for aeration compared to conventional BNR operation. Our improved understanding of the efficiency of low-DO BNR contributes to the global goal of reducing energy consumption during wastewater treatment operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous partial nitrification, anammox and denitrification (SNAD) process was studied in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) fed with synthetic wastewater in a range of 2200 mgN/L ∼ 50 mgN/L. Important was an external real-time precision dissolved oxygen (DO) intelligent control system that consisted of feed forward control system and feedback control system. This DO control system permitted close control of oxygen supply according to influent concentration, effluent quality and other environmental factors in the reactor. In this study the operation was divided into six phases according to influent nitrogen applied. SNAD system was successfully set up after adding COD into a CANON system. And the presence of COD enabled the survival of denitrifiers, and made Thauera and Pseudomonas predominant as functional denitrifiers in this system. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 16S rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing were used to analyze the microbial variations of different substrate concentrations. Results indicated that the relative population of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) members decreased when influent ammonia concentration decreased from 2200 mg/L to 50 mg/L, while no dramatic drop of the percent of anammox bacteria was seen. And Nitrosomonas europaea was the predominant AOB in SNAD system treating sewage, while Candidatus Brocadia was the dominant anammox bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denitrifying membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are being found useful in water reuse treatment systems, including net-zero water (nearly closed-loop), non-reverse osmosis-based, direct potable reuse (DPR) systems. In such systems nitrogen may need to be controlled in the MBR to meet the nitrate drinking water standard in the finished water. To achieve efficient nitrification and denitrification, the addition of alkalinity and external carbon may be required, and control of the carbon feed rate is then important. In this work, an onsite, two-chamber aerobic nitrifying/denitrifying MBR, representing one unit process of a net-zero water, non-reverse osmosis-based DPR system, was modeled as a basis for control of the MBR internal recycling rate, aeration rate, and external carbon feed rate. Specifically, a modification of the activated sludge model ASM2dSMP was modified further to represent the rate of recycling between separate aerobic and anoxic chambers, rates of carbon and alkalinity feed, and variable aeration schedule, and was demonstrated versus field data. The optimal aeration pattern for the modeled reactor configuration and influent matrix was found to be 30 min of aeration in a 2 h cycle (104 m 3 air/d per 1 m 3 /d average influent), to ultimately meet the nitrate drinking water standard. Optimal recycling ratios (inter-chamber flow to average daily flow) were found to be 1.5 and 3 during rest and mixing periods, respectively. The model can be used to optimize aeration pattern and recycling ratio in such MBRs, with slight modifications to reflect reactor configuration, influent matrix, and target nitrogen species concentrations, though some recalibration may be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biobased and biodegradable polyesters with the potential to replace conventional plastics. Aeration requires large amounts of energy in PHA production by mixed microbial cultures (MMCs), particularly during the feast phase due to substrate uptake. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of DO concentrations on microbial selection, substrate competition and PHA production performance by MMCs. This represents the first study investigating DO impact on PHA production while feeding the multiple volatile fatty acids (VFAs) typically encountered in real fermented feedstocks, as well as the substrate preferences at different DO levels. Efficient microbial cultures were enriched under both high (3.47 ± 1.12 mg/L) and low (0.86 ± 0.50 mg/L) DO conditions in the feast phase containing mostly the same populations but with different relative abundance. The most abundant microorganisms in the two MMCs were Plasticicumulans, Zoogloea, Paracoccus, and Flavobacterium. Butyrate and valerate were found to be the preferred substrates as compared to acetate and propionate regardless of DO concentrations. In the accumulation step, the PHA storage capacity and yield were less affected by the change of DO levels when applying the culture selected under low DO in the feast phase (PHA storage capacity >60% and yield > 0.9 Cmol PHA/Cmol VFA). A high DO level is required for maximal PHA accumulation rates with the four VFAs (acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate) present, due to the lower specific uptake rates of acetate and propionate under low DO conditions. However, butyrate and valerate specific uptake rates were less impacted by DO levels and hence low DO for PHA accumulation may be effective when feed is composed of these substrates only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study monitored three different activated sludge systems from the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Plant for a 1 year period to explore the relationship between effluent quality and activated sludge settling and flocculation behavior. Hindered settling rates (ISV) and sludge volume index (SVI) measurements were collected weekly. Novel metrics based on the solids concentration at which the transition between settling regimens occurred were also collected weekly. The transitional metrics were Threshold of Flocculation (TOF), and Limit of Stokesian Settling (LOSS). They marked the transition from discreet to flocculant settling, and from flocculant to hindered settling, respectively. A pilot clarifier and settling column were run and filmed to determine floc morphological properties. SVI was found to lose sensitivity (r < 0.20) when characterizing ISV above a hindered settling rate of 3 m h −1 . ISV and LOSS had a strong correlation (r = 0.71), but ISV was subject to change, depending on the solids concentration. Two sludge matrix limitations influencing effluent quality were characterized by transition concentrations; pinpoint floc formation, and loose floc formation. Pinpoint flocs had TOF values above 400 mg TSS L −1 ; loose floc formation sludge had TOF and LOSS values below 400 mg TSS L −1 and 900 mg TSS L −1 , respectively. TOF was found to correlate with the particle size distribution while LOSS correlated to the settling velocity distribution. The use of both TOF and LOSS is a quick and effective way to characterize limitations effecting effluent quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photolysis of acetaminophen, a widely used pharmaceutical, in simulated natural organic matter solutions was investigated. The triplet states of natural organic matter ( 3 NOM*) were found to play the dominant role in its photodegradation, while the contributions from hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen were negligible. Dissolved oxygen (DO) plays a dual role. From anaerobic to microaerobic (0.5 mg/L DO) conditions, the degradation rate of acetaminophen increased by 4–fold. That suggests the involvement of DO in reactions with the degradation intermediates. With increasing oxygen levels to saturated conditions (26 mg/L DO), the degradation rate became slower, mainly due to DO's quenching effect on 3 NOM*. Superoxide radical (O 2 - ) did not react with acetaminophen directly, but possibly quenched the intermediates to reverse the degradation process. The main photochemical pathways were shown to involve phenoxyl radical and N-radical cations, finally yielding hydroxylated derivatives, dimers and nitrosophenol. A reaction mechanism involving 3 NOM*, oxygen and O 2 - is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) on simultaneous nitrification and denitrification was studied in a moving bed sequencing batch reactor (MBSBR) by microelectrode measurements and by real-time PCR. In this system, the biofilm grew on polyurethane foam carriers used to treat municipal sewage at five DO concentrations (1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 mg/L). The results indicated that the MBSBR exhibited good removal of chemical oxygen demand (92.43%) and nitrogen (83.73%) when DO concentration was 2.5 mg/L. Increasing the oxygen concentration in the reactor was inhibitory to denitrification. Microelectrode measurements showed that the thickness of oxygen penetration increased from 1.2 to 2.6 mm when the DO concentration (from 1.5 mg/L to 5.5 mg/L) in the system increased. Oxygen diffusion was not significantly limited by the boundary layer surrounding the carrier and had the largest slope when DO concentration was 2.5 mg/L. The real-time PCR analysis indicated that the amount of the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria increased slowly as DO concentration increased. The proportions of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, as a percentage of the total bacteria, were low with average values of 0.063% and 0.67%, respectively. When the DO concentration was 2.5 mg/L, oxygen diffusion was optimal and ensured the optimal bacterial community structure and activity; under these conditions, the MBSBR was efficient for total inorganic nitrogen removal. Changing the DO concentration could alter the aerobic zone and the bacterial community structure in the biofilm, directly influencing the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification activity in MBSBRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sensor assembled by a hybrid film was developed for 2D combined measurements of DO dynamic and labile P flux in sediment and water at sub-millimeter resolution based on PO and DGT techniques. The hybrid film is comprised of a transparent polyester membrane supporting two ultrathin sensing layers, i.e., a P binding layer (PBL) overlying a DO sensing layer (DSL). A robust, straightforward measuring strategy based on the referenced RGB and coloration-computer imaging densitometry (CID) methods was developed. Sensing properties for DO show a considerable homogeneity (RSD < 5%) and rapid response (<24 s) in fluorescent response. Calibration experiments reveal the sensitivity values for the DSL without/with PBL are 2.12/1.95, with an acceptable bias of less than 8%. The optimized PBL possesses a uniform distribution of zirconium-oxide microparticles at a relatively high DGT capacity (10.8 μg P cm −2 ), in which the distribution of adsorbed-P can be imaged by the coloration-CID method. The performance of the sensor is compared to two conventional PO and DGT sensors. The hybrid sensor was successfully deployed in three types of benthic micro-interface and showed significant small-scale heterogeneity, providing new opportunities for advancing investigations into relevant biogeochemical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pollution alters the fungal community composition of river water. • Candida glabrata and Clavispora lusitaniae occurrence is linked with pollution. • Meyerozyma guilliermondii dominated culturable yeast populations in rainy seasons. • Fluconazole-resistant yeast strains were recovered from river water. • Risk of mycosis increased concurrently with pollution levels of river water. River water is an essential human resource that may be contaminated with hazardous microorganisms. However, the risk of yeast infection through river water exposure is unclear because it is highly dependant on individual susceptibility and has therefore not been well-studied, to date. To evaluate this undefined risk, we analysed the fungal communities in less polluted (LP) and highly polluted (HP) river water, as determined using principal coordinate analysis of pollution indicators. We enumerated culturable yeasts using a thermally selective isolation procedure (37 °C) and thus promoted the growth of potentially opportunistic species. Yeast species identified as clinically relevant were then tested for antifungal resistance. In addition, we propose a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) framework to quantitatively assess the potential risk of yeast infection. Our results indicated that pollution levels significantly altered fungal communities (p = 0.007) and that genera representing opportunistic and pathogenic members were significantly more abundant in HP waters (p = 0.038). Additionally, the yeast species Candida glabrata and Clavispora lusitaniae positively correlated with other pollution indicators, demonstrating the species' indicator potential. Our QMRA results further indicate that higher risk of infection is associated with increased water pollution levels (considering both physicochemical and bacterial indicators). Furthermore, yeast species with higher pathogenic potential present an increased risk of infection despite lower observed concentrations in the river water. Interestingly, the bloom of Meyerozyma guilliermondii during the wet season suggests that other environmental factors, such as dissolved oxygen levels and water turbulence, might affect growth characteristics of yeasts in river water, which consequently affects the distribution of annual infection risks. The presence of antifungal resistant yeasts, observed in this study, could further contribute to variation in risk distribution. Research on the ecophysiology of yeasts in these environments is therefore necessary to ameliorate the uncertainty and sensitivity of the proposed QMRA model. In addition to the vital knowledge on opportunistic and pathogenic yeast occurrence in river water and their observed association with pollution, this study provides valuable methods and insights to initiate future QMRAs of yeast infections. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• O-rich, low H/C, long-chain parts were preferentially adsorbed on Fe oxyhydroxide. • Temporal adsorption of DBC on Fe oxyhydroxide was aromatics/phenolics > aliphatics. • Few aromatic fractions were continuously adsorbed after the fast adsorption. • This report supports theory that "mineral-OM" and "OM-OM" co-driven the adsorption. As the most reactive and mobile fraction of black carbon, dissolved black carbon (DBC) inexorably interacts with minerals in the biosphere. Nevertheless, the research on the mechanisms and compositions of DBC assembly at the mineral-water interface remains limited. In this study, we revealed the "kinetic architecture" of DBC on iron oxyhydroxide at novel insights based on quantitative and qualitative approaches. The results indicated that high molecular weight, highly unsaturated, oxygen-rich (such as carboxyl-rich fraction, phenolics), aliphatics, and long C chains compounds were preferentially adsorbed on the iron oxyhydroxide. 2D-COS analyses directly disclosed the sequential fractionation: aromatic and phenolic groups > aliphatic groups, and few aromatics were continuously adsorbed after the rapid adsorption. Quantitative determinations identified that aromatic and phenolic components were adsorbed rapidly over the first 60 min, while aromatics achieved the dynamic equilibrium until ∼300 min, which was consistent with the 2D-COS observations. Our findings supported the hypothesis that "mineral-OM" and "OM-OM" interactions worked simultaneously, and the adsorption might be co-driven by ligand exchange, hydrophobic interactions, and other mechanisms. This work provided the theoretical basis for organic carbon storage and turnover, and it was valuable for predicting the behaviors and fates of contaminants at the soil-water interface and surface water. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of a nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI)-based treatment process for an aquifer contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) in which TCE in dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) form was also present. The study further investigated the effects of site oxidants on the reactivity and lifetime of NZVI. The injection of 30 kg of NZVI into the site successfully removed 95.7% of TCE in the groundwater within the first 60 days without producing chlorinated intermediates. The chloride balance analysis estimated that 2214 g of TCE was removed and confirmed the presence of DNAPL TCE. The oxidation of NZVI particles by nitrate, dissolved oxygen (DO), and TCE consumed 29.5%, 13.5%, and 14.3% of the Fe(0) initially present, respectively, over 60 days. Thus, nitrate was identified as the priority among groundwater oxidants. The reactive lifetime of NZVI at the site was found to be at least 103 days, based on the monitoring of TCE, DO, and nitrate concentrations, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), and the residual Fe(0) content of the NZVI particles. Solid samples that were retrieved from the site on the 165th day still contained substantial amounts of Fe(0), occupying up to 21.9% of the total mass, and retained considerable reactivities towards TCE. This indicates that the NZVI particles aged more than 5 months at the site can potentially be reused for TCE reduction even after extensive corrosion of Fe(0) has occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of Fe and Mn in seasonally stratified drinking water reservoirs adversely impacts water quality. To control issues with Fe and Mn at the source, some drinking water utilities have deployed hypolimnetic oxygenation systems to create well-oxygenated conditions in the water column that are favorable for the oxidation, and thus removal, of Fe and Mn. However, in addition to being controlled by dissolved oxygen (DO), Fe and Mn concentrations are also influenced by pH and metal-oxidizing microorganisms. We studied the response of Fe and Mn concentrations to hypolimnetic oxygenation in a shallow drinking water reservoir in Vinton, Virginia, USA by sequentially activating and deactivating an oxygenation system over two summers. We found that maintaining well-oxygenated conditions effectively prevented the accumulation of soluble Fe in the hypolimnion. However, while the rate of Mn oxidation increased under well-oxygenated conditions, soluble Mn still accumulated in the slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.6 to 7.5) hypolimnion. In parallel, we conducted laboratory incubation experiments, which showed that the presence of Mn-oxidizing microorganisms increased the rate of Mn oxidation in comparison with rates under oxic, abiotic conditions. Combined, our field and laboratory results demonstrate that increasing DO concentrations in the water column is important for stimulating the oxidation of Fe and Mn, but that the successful management of Mn is also tied to the activity of Mn-oxidizing organisms in the water column and favorable (neutral to alkaline) pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support decision makers in planning effective combined sewer overflow (CSO) management strategies an integrated modelling and impact assessment approach has been developed and applied for a large urban area in Berlin, Germany. It consists of an urban drainage model, a river water quality model and a tool for the quantification of adverse dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions in the river, one of the main stressors for urban lowland rivers. The coupled model was calibrated successfully with average Nash-Sutcliffe-efficiencies for DO in the river of 0.61 and 0.70 for two validation years. Moreover, the whole range of observed DO concentrations after CSO down to 0 mg L −1 is simulated by the model. A local sensitivity analysis revealed that in the absence of CSO dissolved oxygen principally depends on phytoplankton dynamics. Regarding CSO impacts, it was shown that 97% of the observed DO deficit can be explained by the three processes (i) mixing of river water with CSO spill water poor in DO, (ii) reduced phytoplankton activity due to CSO-induced turbidity and (iii) degradation of organic matter by heterotrophic bacteria. As expected, process (iii) turned out to be the most important one. However depending on the time lag after CSO the other processes can become dominant. Given the different involved processes, we found that different mitigation schemes tested in a scenario analysis can reduce the occurrence of critical DO deficits in the river by 30–70%. Overall, the study demonstrates that integrated sewer-river-models can be set up to represent CSO impacts under complex urban conditions. However, a significant effort in monitoring and modelling is a requisite for achieving reliable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operation at low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations (<1 mg/L) in wastewater treatment could save utilities significantly by reducing aeration energy costs. However, few studies have evaluated the impact of low DO on pharmaceutical biotransformations during treatment. DO concentration can impact pharmaceutical biotransformation rates during wastewater treatment both directly and indirectly: directly by acting as a limiting substrate that slows the activity of the microorganisms involved in biotransformation; and indirectly by shaping the microbial community and selecting for a community that performs pharmaceutical biotransformation faster (or slower). In this study, nitrifying bioreactors were operated at low (∼0.3 mg/L) and high (>4 mg/L) DO concentrations to understand how DO growth conditions impacted microbial community structure. Short-term batch experiments using the biomass from the parent reactors were performed under low and high DO conditions to understand how DO concentration impacts microbial physiology. Although the low DO parent biomass had a lower specific activity with respect to ammonia oxidation than the high DO parent reactor biomass, it had faster biotransformation rates of ibuprofen, sulfamethoxazole, 17α-ethinylestradiol, acetaminophen, and atenolol in high DO batch conditions. This was likely because the low DO reactor had a 2x higher biomass concentration, was enriched for ammonia oxidizers (4x higher concentration), and harbored a more diverse microbial community (3x more unique taxa) as compared to the high DO parent reactor. Overall, the results show that there can be indirect benefits from low DO operation over high DO operation that support pharmaceutical biotransformation during wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The changes of M. aeruginosa IOM and its DBPFPs under MOM were investigated. • The decrease of IOM and DBPFPs was faster under aerobic condition. • Protein- and humic-like fluorescence could be used as DBPFPs alternative index. • The activity and diversity of microorganisms were lower under anoxic condition. • The lower dissolved oxygen in MOM was not conducive to the decomposition of IOM. Most of the reservoirs or lakes will form a metalimnetic oxygen minimum (MOM) with the characterization of a substantial fraction of dissolved oxygen (DO) depleted below the epilimnion. The effect of intracellular organic matter (IOM) of algal cells transformed under MOM conditions is completely different from that of the original IOM on water quality. In this study, the IOM changes of Microcystic aeruginosa under different MOM conditions and its related disinfection by-products formation potentials (DBPFPs) were investigated by changing the pressure and DO concentration of MOM. Total Fmax increased slightly and then decreased under different pressure conditions, finally decreasing by no more than 22.0%. Under aerobic condition, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total Fmax decreased significantly, and decreased by 60.4% and 38.8% within the first 2 days. The results of specific UV absorbance (SUVA) and UV 250 /UV 365 indicated that aromatic compounds and average molecular weight of IOM were gradually increased under different MOM conditions. The total DBPFPs increased firstly and then decreased under different pressure conditions, and finally decreased by 26.2%-33.1%. The decrease of total DBPFPs was significantly higher under aerobic condition than that under anoxic condition, which finally decreased by 64.5%. Redundancy analysis showed that the fluorescence parameter (protein-like and humic-like fluorescence) could be expected as an index to predict the DBPFPs. Moreover, the results revealed that with the decrease of DO, the activity and diversity of natural microbial consortium decreased, which prevented the further degradation and utilization of organic matter by natural microbial consortium. Therefore, lower DO was a key player for the deterioration of water quality under MOM conditions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Barman model well captured the seasonal variations of nutrients (N, P, and Si) and CO 2 concentrations in reservoirs of the Seine Basin. • The processes regulating carbon and nutrient variations in these reservoirs were quantified by the model. • Trophic state and mean water depth of reservoir affect NO 3 − and DSi retention efficiency. Reservoirs are active reactors for the biogeochemical cycling of carbon (C) and nutrients (nitrogen: N, phosphorus: P, and silica: Si), however, our in-depth understanding of C and nutrient cycling in reservoirs is still limited by the fact that it involves a variety of closely linked and coupled biogeochemical and hydrological processes. In this study, the updated process-based Barman model was applied to three reservoirs of the Seine Basin during 2019–2020, considering the variations of carbon dioxide (CO 2) concentrations and key water quality variables. The model simulations captured well the observed seasonal variations of water quality variables, although discrepancies remained for some variables. According to the model, we found that: (1) the three reservoirs are autotrophic ecosystems and showed high removal efficiency of dissolved inorganic carbon and nutrients during 2019-2020; (2) phytoplankton assimilation, benthic denitrification, precipitation and dissolution of calcium carbonate, and gas exchange at the water-air interface are the dominant processes for water quality variations in reservoirs; (3) based on scenarios results, trophic state and mean water depth of reservoir would impact the biogeochemical processes and the retention efficiency of nitrate and dissolved silicate. Finally, we expect that the successful application of Barman model in the reservoirs of the Seine Basin could provide a useful tool for simulating reservoir water quality changes and thus evaluating the impacts of reservoirs on downstream water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sludge process reduction activated sludge (SPRAS), with a sludge process reduction module composed of a micro-aerobic tank and a settler positioned before conventional activated sludge process, showed good performance of pollutant removal and sludge reduction. Two SPRAS systems were operated to investigate effects of micro-aeration on sludge reduction performance and microbial community structure. When dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the micro-aerobic tank decreased from 2.5 (SP H ) to 0.5 (SP L ) mg/L, the sludge reduction efficiency increased from 42.9% to 68.3%. Compared to SP H , activated sludge in SP L showed higher contents of extracellular polymeric substances and dissolved organic matter. Destabilization of floc structure in the settler, and cell lysis in the sludge process reduction module were two major reasons for sludge reduction. Illumina-MiSeq sequencing showed that microbial diversity decreased under high DO concentration. Proteobacteria , Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi were the most abundant phyla in the SPRAS. Specific comparisons down to the class and genus level showed that fermentative, predatory and slow-growing bacteria in SP L community were more abundant than in SP H . The results revealed that micro-aeration in the SPRAS improved hydrolysis efficiency and enriched fermentative and predatory bacteria responsible for sludge reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, N 2 O formation and emissions from a full-scale partial nitritation (SHARON) reactor were identified through a three-weeks monitoring campaign during which the off-gas was analysed for N 2 O, O 2 , CO 2 and NO. The overall N 2 O emission was 3.7% of the incoming ammonium load. By fitting the N 2 O emission to a theoretical gas stripping profile, the N 2 O emissions could be assigned to aerobically formed N 2 O and N 2 O formed under anoxic conditions. This was further substantiated by liquid N 2 O measurements. Under standard operation, 70% of the N 2 O emission was attributed to anoxic N 2 O formation. Dedicated experiments revealed that low dissolved oxygen concentrations (<1.0  g   O 2 · m −3 ) and longer anoxic periods resulted in an increased N 2 O emission. Minimising or avoiding anoxic conditions has the highest effect in lowering the N 2 O emissions. As an additional result, the use of the off-gas N 2 O concentration measurements to monitor the gas–liquid mass transfer rate coefficient ( k L a ) during dynamic reactor operation was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]