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The high water consumption in agriculture has led to an obvious water crisis in this sector, and the use of unconventional water sources, especially agricultural drains, is considered necessary. For this purpose, the present study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of biological filters with different types of substrates for treating agricultural wastewater in Khuzestan province, located in the south of Iran, to use receptive resources and reuse them in agriculture. Next, the efficiency of four types of biological filters for treating agricultural drainage water with different retention times was evaluated. Sawdust, cotton stalks, wheat straw, stubble, and rice husk were used as filters. Qualitative factors included agricultural pesticides (Atrazine, Randup, Paraquat, and 2, 4-D) and nutrients (nitrate, nitrogen, phosphate, and phosphorus). By examining the trend of increasing the retention time and the corresponding removal percentage, it was observed that the retention time has a direct relationship with the amount of removal efficiency of nutrients and agricultural toxins. As the residence time increases, the average amount of nutrient compounds in different filters decreases, and their removal percentage increases. The highest removal percentage of nitrate, total nitrogen, phosphate, and total phosphorus was 74.03, 71.66, 57.97, and 61.85% in the sawdust filter and was assigned to 10 days. The highest percentage of removal of Atrazine, Tofudi, Paraquat, and Roundup toxins with a removal efficiency of 91.73, 84.27, 89.81, and 88.46% was also observed in the treatment of sawdust for 10 days. The sawdust filter showed a good performance in removing the parameters of agricultural toxins and nutrient compounds in a retention time of 10 days compared to other filters and retention times. As a general result, the sawdust filter can be cited as a reliable substrate with acceptable efficiency compared to other filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The high water consumption in agriculture has led to an obvious water crisis in this sector, and the use of unconventional water sources, especially agricultural drains, is considered necessary. For this purpose, the present study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of biological filters with different types of substrates for treating agricultural wastewater in Khuzestan province, located in the south of Iran, to use receptive resources and reuse them in agriculture. Next, the efficiency of four types of biological filters for treating agricultural drainage water with different retention times was evaluated. Sawdust, cotton stalks, wheat straw, stubble, and rice husk were used as filters. Qualitative factors included agricultural pesticides (Atrazine, Randup, Paraquat, and 2, 4-D) and nutrients (nitrate, nitrogen, phosphate, and phosphorus). By examining the trend of increasing the retention time and the corresponding removal percentage, it was observed that the retention time has a direct relationship with the amount of removal efficiency of nutrients and agricultural toxins. As the residence time increases, the average amount of nutrient compounds in different filters decreases, and their removal percentage increases. The highest removal percentage of nitrate, total nitrogen, phosphate, and total phosphorus was 74.03, 71.66, 57.97, and 61.85% in the sawdust filter and was assigned to 10 days. The highest percentage of removal of Atrazine, Tofudi, Paraquat, and Roundup toxins with a removal efficiency of 91.73, 84.27, 89.81, and 88.46% was also observed in the treatment of sawdust for 10 days. The sawdust filter showed a good performance in removing the parameters of agricultural toxins and nutrient compounds in a retention time of 10 days compared to other filters and retention times. As a general result, the sawdust filter can be cited as a reliable substrate with acceptable efficiency compared to other filters.

Biochar can be expected to serve as a biofilter filler for wastewater treatment. But it is still stayed in the laboratory stage at present. Only a few reports on the biochar and other filter materials combined to strengthen the pilot biofilter for the treatment of rural domestic sewage. A single removal rate is only considered to evaluate the performance and carbon emission. However, this assessment cannot fully meet the requirements of the new "dual carbon" targets. Taking the biochar-enhanced biological aerated filter as the research object, this study aims to investigate the biofilm start-up time, treatment ability of rural domestic sewage, stability, and daily carbon emission under medium temperature environment (25-30℃). The results showed that the hanging time of the filter was 14 days with the activated sludge inoculation, and the removal rate of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+ -N) in the aerated biofilter was stable at more than 90%, while the removal rate of NH4+ -N was stable at more than 80%. At the same time, 1-2 mm transparent yellowish-brown biofilm was observed on the suspended sphere filler. When the hydraulic load and influent flow rate were 0.045 m3 /(m2·h) and 0.9 m3 /d, the optimum influent hydraulic retention time of the system was 8 h, and the average removal rates of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were 95.0%, 79.1%, 62.5%, and 78.4%, respectively; When the influent hydraulic retention time and influent flow rate were 8 h and 1.2 m³/d. respectively, the optimum hydraulic load was 0.030 m³/(m²·h), and the average removal rates of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were 95.3%, 87.4%, 68.1%, and 79.0%, respectively. The effluent concentrations of COD, NH4+ -N, TN, and TP fully met the second-level discharge standards in Jiangxi Province's "Discharge Standards for Water Pollutants in Rural Domestic Sewage Treatment and Disposal Facilities" (DB 36/1102-2019). Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in different periods were extracted from the suspended spheres and ceramic particles. The contents of EPS were analyzed by UV-vis full-wavelength scanning with a UV-visible spectrophotometer (DR6000). It was found that there was an increase in the EPS content on the suspended spheres and ceramic particles in the different periods, compared with D0. It infers that the biofilter was stable for better sludge activity in the actual operation. The COD was monitored to collect and sort the energy consumption data. The carbon balance equation was established to calculate the overall carbon emission by total organic carbon (TOC). Therefore, the carbon emission of the wastewater discharged by the biological aerated filter was 9.08 kg/d under the optimal hydraulic retention time of 8 h and an inlet flow rate of 0.9 m³/d. Therefore, the biochar-enhanced biological aerated filter can provide a high application prospect to treat rural domestic sewage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation harms the skin, causing oxidative damage, inflammation, and disruption of the skin's barrier function. There is considerable interest in identifying new natural ingredients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to serve as adjuvants in sunscreens. The flavonoid morin (1) can undergo structural modifications to enhance its biological properties. The aim of this study was to synthesize two new morin-Schiff base derivatives, morin oxime (2) and morin semicarbazone (3), comparing their photoprotective effects with that of the parent compound on UVB-exposed HaCaT keratinocytes. The chemical structure of the novel compounds was revealed based on spectroscopic data analysis. Our findings demonstrated that derivatives 2 and 3 enhanced the light absorption capability in the UV–visible (vis) range compared to 1. Tested compounds exhibited a higher scavenger capacity than Trolox. Moreover, pre-treatment with all compounds protected HaCaT cells from UVB-induced cell death. Compound 3 demonstrated the strongest antioxidant effect, reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and, subsequently, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Additionally, compounds 2 and 3 exhibited greater anti-inflammatory effects than compound 1, significantly reducing interleukin (IL)-6 production levels at all tested concentrations. These findings have demonstrated, for the first time, a promising photoprotective activity of two new Schiff base derivatives and suggest their use as natural sunscreen ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological filters effectively remove ammonium from drinking water via nitrification. In a pilot-scale upflow biological contact filter (U-BCF), complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox), which are capable of oxidizing ammonia to nitrate in one cell, were more abundant than ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, little information is available on the contribution of comammox to nitrification. In this study, we evaluated the autotrophic growth activity of comammox associated with biological activated carbon (BAC) in a U-BCF by DNA-stable isotope probing (DNA-SIP). BAC samples collected from the U-BCF were continuously fed mineral medium containing 0.14 mg N L−1 ammonium and 12C- or 13C-labeled bicarbonate for 20 days. DNA-SIP analysis revealed that comammox (clades A and B) as well as AOA assimilated bicarbonate after 10 days of incubation, proving that dominant comammox could contribute to nitrification. Contrarily, AOB remained inactive throughout the observation period. Amplicon sequencing of the 13C-labeled DNA fractions of comammox revealed that specific genotypes other than the most dominant genotype in the original sample were more enriched under the incubation condition for the DNA-SIP experiment. Thus, dominant genotypes of comammox in a U-BCF might utilize organic nitrogen to fuel nitrification in ammonia-limited environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Dalian Ocean University is the property of Journal of Dalian Ocean University Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation harms the skin, causing oxidative damage, inflammation, and disruption of the skin’s barrier function. There is considerable interest in identifying new natural ingredients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to serve as adjuvants in sunscreens. The flavonoid morin (1) can undergo structural modifications to enhance its biological properties. The aim of this study was to synthesize two new morin-Schiff base derivatives, morin oxime (2) and morin semicarbazone (3), comparing their photoprotective effects with that of the parent compound on UVB-exposed HaCaT keratinocytes. The chemical structure of the novel compounds was revealed based on spectroscopic data analysis. Our findings demonstrated that derivatives 2 and 3 enhanced the light absorption capability in the UV–visible (vis) range compared to 1. Tested compounds exhibited a higher scavenger capacity than Trolox. Moreover, pre-treatment with all compounds protected HaCaT cells from UVB-induced cell death. Compound 3 demonstrated the strongest antioxidant effect, reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and, subsequently, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Additionally, compounds 2 and 3 exhibited greater anti-inflammatory effects than compound 1, significantly reducing interleukin (IL)-6 production levels at all tested concentrations. These findings have demonstrated, for the first time, a promising photoprotective activity of two new Schiff base derivatives and suggest their use as natural sunscreen ingredients.

Copyright of Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although anaerobic reactors are an excellent alternative in the treatment of domestic effluents, they have the disadvantage of requiring post-treatment. Many technologies have been studied and, recently, rapid filtration systems have been presented as a viable alternative for post-treatment. This work compared post-treatment techniques for anaerobic upflow sludge blanket (UASB) reactors by rapid filtration systems (double filtration (DF); triple filtration with clinoptilolite (TFc); and triple filtration with activated carbon (TFac)) to conventional systems (facultative pond (FP); biological filter (BF); biological filter with recirculation and decantation (BFD)), verifying their potential for improvement of the final effluent quality. The UASB effluent post-treatments by FP, BF, BFD, DF, TFc, and TFac were evaluated. The removal of turbidity in both BFD and FP post-treatments was below 75%. The DF, TFc, and TFac treatments showed over 99% removal of the same parameters. COD removal in the FP, BF, and BFD post-treatments was over 10%, while in the DF, TFc, and TFac treatments, it was over 80%. The greatest total phosphorus removal was observed in TFc and TFac, whose values were over 99%. The best removal of ammoniacal nitrogen, 99% was observed in the TFc treatment. Regarding Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn removal, all rapid filtration systems showed better performance when compared to conventional systems. The DF, TFc, and TFac systems showed over 90% removal of most metals evaluated, while the FP and BF treatments presented values below 50% for most metals, and in the BFD system, the removal values were below 80% for most metals. The results indicate that rapid filtration systems were better at removing all evaluated parameters when compared to conventional systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment is the property of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Construction waste (CW) is produced in large quantities, resulting in severe land occupation and resource depletion. This study utilized CW as fillers to construct a denitrification biofilter (DNBF-CW) for treating secondary effluent from wastewater plants. Performance and mechanism were analyzed by water quality, biomass and its distribution, physicochemical characteristics, microbial community structure, extracellular polymeric substances and protein secondary structure analysis. Results indicated that DNBF-CW achieve NO 3 - -N and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies (RE) of 97 % and 70 %. The β-sheet of DNBF-CW increased from 47 % to 58 %, accompanied by decrease in random curls from 22 % to 0. Post-use CW showed potential as soilless cultivation substrates, boosting germination rates by 42 ± 7 %. Mechanism investigations elucidated that ZX3 improved efficiency by modulating microbial community composition, with Pseudomonas reaching 37 %. This study shows the multiple use of construction waste, which presents a novel, efficient, and eco-friendly solution for water treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The applicability of two common fillers, zeolite and volcanic rock, in ANAMMOX biofilters, the adsorption of NH4+ -N and the actual operation of the two fillers were compared. The results showed that at P = 30 °C and pH 二 7. 14, the maximum average cumulative adsorption efficiency of NH4+.N for natural zeolite, NaCl modified zeolite and volcanic rock reached 28. 59%,46. 50% and 8. 50%, respectively. The maximum cumulative adsorption capacity was 76. 72,124. 13 and 19.45 mg, respectively. The adsorption capacity of zeolite for NH： -N was much greater than that of volcanic rock. The bioreactor was started and operated with NaCl modified zeolite and volcanic rock as fillers, respectively. Under the same influent and operation conditions, the volcanic biological filter is superior to the zeolite biological filter in terms of TN removal efficiency, TN removal load, effects of short-cut rdtrification and ANAMMOX at room temperature, low temperature and temperature recovery stages. The adsorption capacity of zeolite to NH4+.N was better than that of volcanic rock, while the effect of volcanic rock in actual operation was better, so it is more suitable for ANAMMOX biological filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contamination comes from many different sources, including, among others, factories, sewage treatment plants, mining activities (heavy metals), food-processing waste, agriculture runoff, animal waste, disposal of personal care products, and household chemicals. Therefore, the reuse of wastewater has become a fundamental strategy for sustainable water management and maintaining environmental quality. In this sense, this research presents a simple and economic alternative to solving the problems caused by greywater, resulting from laundry activities. This paper evaluates a mixed system for the treatment of greywater. The mixed system has physical filters that are composed of river stone, concrete, river sand, and coal. A bioremediation technique is also evaluated, involving two types of aquatic plants, watercress (Nasturtium officinale L.) and duckweed (Lemma minor L.). This study showed significant differences in pH reduction, from 9.56 to 7.50, total suspended solids (TSS), from 1742.00 mg/L to 298.50 mg/L, phosphates, from 1.12 mg/L PO4 3¯ to 0.31 mg/L PO4 3- , and chemical oxygen demand (COD), from 472.38 mg/L to 8.52 mg/L. Thus, the results indicate that this system is efficient for the reuse of grey water for irrigation uses. Moreover, each parameter, with the exception of dissolved oxygen and total suspended solids (TSS), meets the maximum limits set by the Environmental Quality Standards for Category 3: irrigation water for vegetables and animal beverages and the FAO irrigation water standards.

Copyright of Revista Ambiente e Água is the property of Revista Ambiente e Agua and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, a new type of anaerobic biological filter (ABF) packed with alkali-treated loofah filler and a filler-free suspension growth control group (SBR) were used to cultivate the inoculated activated sludge to improve the activity and low temperature tolerance of the enriched anaerobic ammonia oxidation bacteria in the reactor. The results show that ABF and SBR were acclimated and started quickly, and the total nitrogen removal rate was maintained at 70.9% and 63.7%, respectively. Under the low temperature operating conditions, the total nitrogen removal rate of ABF maintained 59.9%, which was 16.5% higher than that of SBR. The detected EPS in the biomass of ABF and SBR increased by 100% and 272%, respectively, under low temperatures (15°C). Metagenomic testing revealed that the anammox bacteria (Candidatus Brocadiae) were the dominant functional populations both in ABF and SBR systems, and their relative abundances were 22.5% and 11.38%, respectively. In addition, it is found for the first time that anammox bacteria and denitrifying bacteria were the main contributors to EPS synthesis, which is important to the stable operation of the reactor at low temperature.

In this study, the development of models for the design of an anaerobic upflow filters separated into two and three phases are presented, DI-FAFS and TRI-FAFS. Both reactors have been evaluated in the COD removal performance on a total of 54 tests. The experimentalfactors are the volumetric organic load, the temperature and the depth relationship between two consective phases. The conceptual modelis based on equations derived from a mass balance under stationary conditions dS/dt = 0 and advectives dS/dZ ≠ 0; eight equationsapplicable to the DI-FAFS and TRI-FAFS reactors; four equations for each reactor.The equations to obtain the parameters of degradationof organic matter were compared with bibliographic references. Two models were selected and proposed, after adjusted to observationswith R2 adjusted greater than 0.7 and with standard errors of estimation and the absolute average error in the minimum values.

In this study, the development of models for the design of an anaerobic upflow filters separated into two and three phases are presented, DI-FAFS and TRI-FAFS. Both reactors have been evaluated in the COD removal performance on a total of 54 tests. The experimental factors are the volumetric organic load, the temperature and the depth relationship between two consective phases. The conceptual model is based on equations derived from a mass balance under stationary conditions dS/dt = 0 and advectives dS/dZ ≠ 0; eight equations applicable to the DI-FAFS and TRI-FAFS reactors; four equations for each reactor. The equations to obtain the parameters of degradation of organic matter were compared with bibliographic references. Two models were selected and proposed, after adjusted to observations with R2 adjusted greater than 0.7 and with standard errors of estimation and the absolute average error in the minimum values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing attention has been given to the treatment of livestock and poultry wastewater because of its high ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) content and low carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N). Ceramic filter medium (CFM) and dewatered aluminum sludge (DAS), which are products from cast-off materials, are used as small-scale combined biological filters (CFM-DAS) for wastewater treatment. The high and stale removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+-N, and total nitrogen (TN) in the DAS filter indicate that DAS plays a major role in pollutant removal. Although significant differences are found between the composition of nitrifying bacteria in CFM and DAS, the structures of nitrifying communities are evenly distributed in each layer of CFM or DAS irrespective of the running time. Microbial compositions are attributed to the comprehensive effect of various environmental factors such as pH and TN at effluents. In the DAS, Nitrosospira shows significant negative correlation with the concentrations of NH4+-N in effluents, whereas it has positive correlation with NO3−-N, and Nitrososphaera has a significant negative correlation with NO3−-N in effluents. Pearson correlation test reveals that certain genera may be used in estimating or predicting NH4+-N consumption and NO3−-N accumulation in CFM-DAS for treating sewage with a high NH4+-N content.

Copyright of Journal of Beijing University of Technology is the property of Journal of Beijing University of Technology, Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of synthetic fibre as a biological support for the adhesion of nitrifying bacteria in an aquaculture recirculation system (RAS). It was developed from three assays over 120 days. In the first assay, the synthetic fibres used as biological support were introduced in tanks of biological filtration of the system for posterior respirometry analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Respirometry and SEM were performed 10 days after inoculation with nitrifying microorganisms. Water quality parameters were monitored daily, and the respirometry showed that the bacteria in this assay were consuming the following amounts of ammonium: concentrations [C1]35.369 mg NH 3 /L, R 2 = 0.9912; [C2]51.628 mg NH 3 /L, R 2 = 0.9883; [C3]79.494 mg NH 3 /L, R 2 = 0.986; and [C4]215.225 mg NH 3 L, R 2 = 0.9934. In the second assay, a 1920-L tank was stocked with 120 Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus , with an initial weight 32.11 ± 7.6 g and a biomass of 3.8 kg. After 60 days, the tank and its contents were assessed to evaluate zootechnical parameters and physical–chemical parameters of water quality. From these results, a third assay was developed in which the biomass of fish was increased to challenge the recirculation system. The tank was stocked with 480 jundiá Rhamdia quelen (initial weight 11.34 ± 2.4 g and biomass 5.4 kg) for 60 days. In both the tilapia and jundiá assays, the fish were fed four times per day with a commercial diet of 35% crude protein and 42% crude protein, respectively, at 5% of each individual fish’s body weight. At the end of the zootechnical assays, the synthetic fibres used showed efficient biological support for bacterial growth, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The fibres also demonstrated maintenance of the water quality, which allowed good fish growth in the recirculating aquaculture system, and the maintenance of up to 11.19 kg/m³ of biomass of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hormone active agents constitute a dangerous class of pollutants. Among them, those agents that mimic the action of estrogens on target cells and are part of the group of endocrine-disruptor compounds (EDCs) are termed estrogenic EDCs, the main focus of this review. Exposure to these compounds causes a number of negative effects, including breast cancer, infertility and animal hermaphroditism. However, especially in underdeveloped countries, limited efforts have been made to warn people about this serious issue, explain the methods of minimizing exposure, and develop feasible and efficient mitigation strategies at different levels and in various environments. For instance, the use of bioremediation processes capable of transforming EDCs into environmentally friendly compounds has been little explored. A wide diversity of estrogen-degrading microorganisms could be used to develop such technologies, which include bioremediation processes for EDCs that could be implemented in biological filters for the post-treatment of wastewater effluent. This review describes problems associated with EDCs, primarily estrogenic EDCs, including exposure as well as the present status of understanding and the effects of natural and synthetic hormones and estrogenic EDCs on living organisms. We also describe potential biotechnological strategies for EDC biodegradation, and suggest novel treatment approaches for minimizing the persistence of EDCs in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now a day, botanical gardens are considered as the most important and influential public green spaces in most countries of the world. These complexes on one hand have scientific and research applications in the fields of botany, gardening, conservation and plant ecology, and on the other hand they play an important role in public education and tourism. So it can be said that botanical gardens have been converted from merely research environments to multifunctional green spaces. The purpose of this study is designing the Botanical Gardens in Genow ecotourism region, located in of north of Bandar Abbas as a research-tourism complex that has been welcomed by citizens and tourists and respond to the various of their users. Selecting Genow region was due to its vicinity to the Protected Area and Reserve Biosphere of Genow (in terms of life value of diverse plants of protected area). In the process of designing the relevance of botanical garden with Genow echo tourist area, in performance dimension have been considered by the use of Persian garden pattern, and in terms of relationship with nature, with the benefit of recreational spaces and enjoyment of sustainable architecture components (green roofs, living walls the biological filter in the interior parts), that due to having these features will be considered by non-researcher tourists in Genow ecotourism region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the removal efficiency and mechanism for antibiotics in swine wastewater by a biological aerated filter system (BAF system) in combination with laboratory aerobic and anaerobic incubation experiments. Nine antibiotics including sulfamonomethoxine, sulfachloropyridazine, sulfamethazine, trimethoprim, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, lincomycin, leucomycin and oxytetracycline were detected in the wastewater with concentrations up to 192,000 ng/L. The results from this pilot study showed efficient removals (>82%) of the conventional wastewater pollutants (BOD 5 , COD, TN and NH 3 -N) and the detected nine antibiotics by the BAF system. Laboratory simulation experiment showed first-order dissipation kinetics for the nine antibiotics in the wastewater under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The biodegradation kinetic parameters successfully predicted the fate of the nine antibiotics in the BAF system. This suggests that biodegradation was the dominant process for antibiotic removal in the BAF system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of table olives is a significant economic activity in Mediterranean countries. Table olive processing generates large volumes of rinsing water that are characterized by high organic matter and phenol contents. Due to these characteristics, a combination of more than one technology is imperative to ensure efficient treatment with low operational cost. Previously, biological filters were combined with electrooxidation to treat table olive washing water. Although this combination was successful in reducing pollutant loads, its cost could be further reduced. Constructed wetlands could be an eligible treatment method for integrated table olive washing water treatment as they have proved tolerant to high organic matter and phenol loads. Two pilot-scale horizontal subsurface constructed wetlands, one planted and one unplanted, were combined with a biological filter and electrooxidation over a boron-doped diamond anode to treat table olive washing water. In the biological filter inlet, chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations ranged from 5500 to 15,000 mg/L, while mean COD influent concentration in the constructed wetlands was 2800 mg/L. The wetlands proved to be an efficient intermediate treatment stage, since COD removal levels for the planted unit reached 99 % (mean 70 %), while the unplanted unit presented removal rates of around 65 %. Moreover, the concentration of phenols in the effluent was typically below 100 mg/L. The integrated trickling filter-constructed wetland-electrooxidation treatment system examined here could mineralize and decolorize table olive washing water and fully remove its phenolic content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista ION is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Start-up experiments were carried out using a constructed a pilot-scale biofilter in a water supply plant to purify iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and ammonia (NH3-N) from low-temperature groundwater (3–4°C throughout the year). The results of the biofilter operation indicated that the simultaneous removal of these contaminants could be obtained with a one-stage biofilter, while the operational parameters such as aeration and backwashing strength (BWS) should be optimized during the start-up operation period. Removal of Fe was most likely dominated by chemical oxygen oxidation since the biofilter exhibited high removal efficiency at the initial running period and the start-up time was not required. Higher levels of aeration (that corresponds to higher dissolved oxygen concentration) helped to transform the water redox environment and increase Mn removal. Nitrification effects were irrelevant with the extra aeration. A weaker BWS was helpful in avoiding biomass loss during the initial operation of the biofilter; however, the BWS should be improved to eliminate excess amounts of metal oxide accumulation after a long operation time, since it could enhance the overall removal. Using high-throughput sequencing technology, the functional bacteria genera were identified. It was demonstrated that the corresponding functional oxidizing bacteria could be acclimated sufficiently in low-temperature water. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Six silvofishery systems were constructed to estimate the potential use of mangrove seedlings for nutrient removal. Two systems did not contain seedlings (i.e., control treatment), while the remaining systems were divided into separate treatments using two mangrove species (Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle). Each system consisted of two water tanks linked by two hoses. The first tank contained 150 poeciliid fishes, while the second contained a biological filter of gravel and sand on the bottom, as well as a hydroponic arrangement of 34 seedlings. Water exchange between both tanks was performed over a 24-h period, every ten days for seven months, and the concentration of nutrients (NH4+, NO2-, NO3-, and PO4-3) was measured every 8 h. Laguncularia racemosa showed a higher growth rate compared to R. mangle, but there were no differences regarding the growth of fishes among the six systems. Final dissolved inorganic nitrogen removal was 42% in the control treatment and 90% in both treatments using mangroves. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus removal was 45% in the control treatment, 44% in the L. racemosa treatment, and 35% in the R. mangle treatment. Our results indicate that both mangrove species are capable of removing a considerable amount of nitrogen, but phosphorus removal was unsatisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, robust biological filters with an external control to match a desired input/output (I/O) filtering response are engineered based on the well-characterized promoter-RBS libraries and a cascade gene circuit topology. In the field of synthetic biology, the biological filter system serves as a powerful detector or sensor to sense different molecular signals and produces a specific output response only if the concentration of the input molecular signal is higher or lower than a specified threshold. The proposed systematic design method of robust biological filters is summarized into three steps. Firstly, several well-characterized promoter-RBS libraries are established for biological filter design by identifying and collecting the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of their promoter-RBS components via nonlinear parameter estimation method. Then, the topology of synthetic biological filter is decomposed into three cascade gene regulatory modules, and an appropriate promoter-RBS library is selected for each module to achieve the desired I/O specification of a biological filter. Finally, based on the proposed systematic method, a robust externally tunable biological filter is engineered by searching the promoter-RBS component libraries and a control inducer concentration library to achieve the optimal reference match for the specified I/O filtering response. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study focused on reducing the haloacetic acid (HAA) concentrations in treated drinking water. HAA has been thought to be one possible nutrient supporting heterotrophic bacteria regrowth in drinking water. In this study, experiments were conducted using a pilot-scale system to evaluate the efficiency of biological filters (BF) for reducing excess HAA concentrations in water. The BF system reduced the total HAA concentration and the concentrations of five HAA species in the water. Dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), monobromoacetic acid (MBAA) and dibromoacetic acid (DBAA) were the three main HAA5species that were present in the treated drinking water in this investigation. Combined, these three species represent approximately 77% of the HAA5in the finished water after BF. The verification of the empirical HAA equation for the outlet in the BF system indicated linear relationships with high correlation coefficients. The empirical equation for the HAA5concentrations in the finished water was established by examining other nutrients (e.g., dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm wavelength (UV254), and ammonia nitrogen) that can reduce pathogenic contamination. These findings may be useful for designing advanced processes for conventional water treatment plants or for managing water treatment and distribution systems for providing high-quality drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]