Effluent Samples Research Articles

Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Species and Their Mobile Genetic Elements from Poultry Farm Environments in Malaysia.

The prevalence and persistent outbreaks of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella in low-income countries have received growing attention among the public and scientific community. Notably, the excessive use of antibiotics in chicken feed for the purpose of treatment or as prophylaxis in the poultry industry have led to a rising rate of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella species and its mobile genetic elements from soil and effluent samples of 33 randomly selected poultry farms in Selangor, Malaysia. Salmonella species were isolated on selective media (CHROMagar™ Salmonella). VITEK® 2 system was used to identify the isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility. Subsequently, eight isolates were subjected to the whole genome sequencing (WGS). Based on the results, Salmonella spp. was detected in 38.1% (24/63) of samples, with the highest resistance to ampicillin (62.5%), followed by ampicillin/sulbactam (50.0%) and ciprofloxacin (45.8%). Meanwhile, the identified serovars were Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Weltevreden (S. Weltevreden), S. Jedburgh, and S. Brancaster. The most prevalent resistance genes detected include qnrS1, blaTEM-176, dfrA14, and tet(A). The IncX1 plasmid, with encoded resistance genes, was also detected in four isolates. Furthermore, mutations in the quinolone resistant-determining regions (QRDR) were discovered, specifically in the gyrA, gyrB, and parC genes. In short, surveillance such as continuous monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and emerging trends in resistance patterns through farm environmental samples could provide information to formulate public health interventions for effective infection prevention and disease control.

L. rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 survival, adaptation, and small bowel microbiome impact in human

ABSTRACT Fermented foods and beverages are a significant source of dietary bacteria that enter the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, little is known about how these microbes survive and adapt to the small intestinal environment. Colony-forming units (CFU) enumeration and viability qPCR of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 in the ileal effluent of 10 ileostomy subjects during 12-h post consumption of a dairy product fermented with this strain demonstrated the high level of survival of this strain during human small intestine passage. Metatranscriptome analyses revealed the in situ transcriptome of L. rhamnosus in the small intestine, which was contrasted with transcriptome data obtained from in vitro cultivation. These comparative analyses revealed substantial metabolic adaptations of L. rhamnosus during small intestine transit, including adjustments of carbohydrate metabolism, surface-protein expression, and translation machinery. The prominent presence of L. rhamnosus in the effluent samples did not elicit an appreciable effect on the composition of the endogenous small intestine microbiome, but significantly altered the ecosystem’s overall activity profile, particularly of pathways associated with carbohydrate metabolism. Strikingly, two of the previously recognized gut-brain metabolic modules expressed in situ by L. rhamnosus (inositol degradation and glutamate synthesis II) are among the most dominantly enriched activities in the ecosystem’s activity profile. This study establishes the survival capacity of L. rhamnosus in the human small intestine and highlights its functional adjustment in situ, which we postulate to play a role in the probiotic effects associated with this strain.

Prevalence of multi-antibiotics resistant (MAR) Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shrimp farms in Sarawak, Malaysia

The shrimp farming industry is constantly under threat due to outbreaks of infectious diseases and environmental problems. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is an important foodborne pathogen causing significant economic losses within the shrimp aquaculture industry worldwide. This research aimed to determine the prevalence of V. parahaemolyticus from different shrimp farms from the stocking to harvesting period and assess the antibiotic susceptibility of V. parahaemolyticus using the antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST). In this study, a total of 288 samples comprising twenty-four from each sample consisting of shrimp, water, effluent, and sediment samples were collected aseptically from three (n = 3) shrimp farms located at Telaga Air Farm 1 (Pond 6), Telaga Air Farm 2 (Pond 9) and Santubong Farm (Pond 7), Kuching, Sarawak. A molecular approach by polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the presence of regulator gene, toxR, V. parahaemolyticus. A total of 14 antibiotics, including spectinomycin (SH100), imipenem (IPM10), amoxycillin/ clavulanic acid (AMC30), enrofloxacin (ENR5), bacitracin (B10), meropenem (MEM10), cephalothin (KF30), penicillin G (P10), tetracycline (TE30), kanamycin (K30), streptomycin(S25), rifampicin (RD2), erythromycin (E15), and nalidixic acid (NA30) were used. The results obtained showed that 51/288 (17.71%) of the collected samples with regulator gene, toxR V. parahaemolyticus. As a whole, this includes 31.25% (30/288) from sediment samples, 4.17% (4/288) from shrimp samples, 15.63% (15/288) from water samples, and 2.08% (2/288) from effluent water samples. A total of 54.9% (28/51) of V. parahaemolyticus acquired multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR). The resistance of antibiotics was profiled, and the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indexes and classified into ten patterns. The MAR index of V. parahaemolyticus isolates ranged from 0.11 to 0.36. Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates showed 31.38% with a MAR index > 0.2, indicating that these isolates might be originated from high-risk sources. The data obtained from this study is helpful to monitor the presence of V. parahaemolyticus in the aquaculture farm management system to mitigate the hazard potentially arising from the environmental factor that causes shrimp diseases and shrimp infection.

Wastewater treatment plants elevating microplastic abundances, ecological risks, and loads in Japanese rivers: a source-to-sink perspective.

Little were certain about how wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) affected the Japanese riverine microplastic contamination. This study explored the influences of WWTPs on microplastic pollution, assessed ecological risks, and looked at the sources-to-sinks phenomenon (WWTPs-to-rivers-to-marine) in riverine settings in Japan's Yamaguchi prefecture. Fifty surface water samples from the five selected rivers (Koya, Saba, Shimaji, and Fushino, Nishiki) and 11 effluent samples from WWTPs in the rivers' catchment were examined. Microplastics were analyzed using filtration, wet-peroxidation, density-separation, and attenuated reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Results suggested that the less populated and rural river (Nishiki) was less contaminated compared to the WWTPs and urban areas affected rivers (Koya, Saba, Shimaji, and Fushino). The WWTPs increased microplastic abundance twofold in the downstream regions compared to upstream stations. Microplastic characterization showed that the smaller microplastics < 500µm, fiber-shaped, transparent, blue, and green color particles were major. Polymer identification demonstrated that the polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate were prevalent both for the rivers and WWTP effluents. There was a significant emission of microplastics from WWTPs to rivers (4.671 billion pieces per day; 71.8kg per day) and rivers to Seto Inland Sea (0.13/billion pieces per day/km2; 7.1kg per day). The per capita MP emissions to the rivers via WWTPs ranged from 0.02 to 6.49g per day, which was approximately 2% of per capita single-use plastic wastes in Japan. An assessment of ecological risks showed that the WWTPs posed high ecological risks to rivers, and built up the pollution hotspots to their downstream areas by releasing higher number of microplastics and highly toxic polymers. Overall, the WWTPs influenced the rivers through both abundances and characteristics (shapes-size-color-polymers), increased the complexity of microplastic compositions as well as elevated ecological risks in the rivers. This study contributed to bridging the knowledge gaps about microplastic sources-to-sinks, ecological risks, and pollution management in Japan and beyond.

Molecular characterization of dissolved organic matter in urban stormwater pond and municipal wastewater discharges transformed by the Florida red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis

Karenia brevis blooms occur almost annually in southwest Florida, imposing significant ecological and human health impacts. Currently, 13 nutrient sources have been identified supporting blooms, including nearshore anthropogenic inputs such as stormwater and wastewater outflows. A 21-day bioassay was performed, where K. brevis cultures were inoculated with water sourced from three stormwater ponds along an age gradient (14, 18, and 34 yrs.) and one municipal wastewater effluent sample, with the aim of identifying biomolecular classes and transformations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) compounds used by K. brevis. All sample types supported K. brevis growth and showed compositional changes in their respective DOM pools. Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) catalogued the molecular composition of DOM and identified specific compound classes that were biodegraded. Results showed that K. brevis utilized species across a wide range of compositions that correspond to amino sugars, humic, and lignin-like biomolecular classes. The municipal wastewater and the youngest stormwater pond (SWP 14) effluent contained the largest pools of labile DOM compounds which were bioavailable to K. brevis, which indicates younger stormwater pond effluents may be as ecologically important as wastewater effluents to blooms. Conversely, generation of DOM compounds of greater complexity and a wide range of aromaticity was observed with the older (SWP 18 and SWP 34) stormwater pond treatments. These data confirm the potential for stormwater ponds and/or wastewater to contribute nutrients which can potentially support K. brevis blooms, revealing the need for improved nutrient retention strategies to protect coastal waters from the potential ill effects of urban effluent.

Unraveling the photocatalytic performance of rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3 ternary nanocomposite with organic dyes using scanning Kelvin probe

In this study, we investigated the efficiency of visible-light activated rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3 ternary nanocomposite for the degradation of methylene blue (MB), rose bengal (RB), and real-time industrial effluent (RTIE) samples for wastewater treatment. The samples were characterized via XRD, Raman, UV–vis, FT-IR, FESEM/EDX, Zeta-potential, and Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) techniques. Crystalline nature and structure were identified using XRD and Raman. The bandgap of prepared samples was calculated from absorption spectra obtained from the UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. FT-IR analysis determined the function groups in rGO, MoO3, rGO/Nd2O3, and rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3. Furthermore, the morphology and elemental composition percentage of pure nanoparticles and nanocomposite were confirmed by FESEM/EDX. The surface area and pore size were evaluated using BET-BJH. Work function evaluated from a novel approach SKP in the dark (5.25 eV) and under light (5.02 eV) exposure indicating the formation of the new energy level of charge carriers, minimizing electron-hole recombination rate. The maximum photodegradation efficiency of the hybrid rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3 nanocomposite was ∼ 99% for MB and ∼ 95% for RB under visible light. Our investigations unravel the mechanism behind the photodegradation process of model dyes and industrial effluents with rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3, which will create a new pathway in wastewater treatment applications.

Purification of Industrial Effluent by Gas Hydrate-based (HyPurif) Process

This study presents a sustainable HyPurif process for managing and recycling industrial water effluent, utilizing gas hydrate-based technology to purify complex effluent. This work purifies two effluents: one from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the other from a spent caustic treatment plant (SCTP). Various hydrate formers, including propane, HFC134a, and cyclopentane (6 mol %), were selected, as they typically form hydrates closer to ambient conditions. Hydrate formation experiments with effluent water were performed at 278.30 K using pure propane and HFC134a gas. Based on the kinetics of hydrate growth, the study was extended to a mixture (50:50%) of propane and HFC134a, operating at a pressure of 0.6 MPa. The mixture of propane and HFC134a has shown the desired result of forming the hydrate in the gas phase and having high separation efficiency. The results showed that the formation and dissociation of hydrates resulted in a separation efficiency of 80–95%. For instance, in the purified water, the biological oxygen demand (BOD) decreased from 2097 mg/L in the effluent sample to 220 mg/L in purified water (purification efficiency of 90.5%). The chemical oxygen demand (COD) decreased from 3100 mg/L in the effluent sample to 503 mg/L in purified water (purification efficiency of 84%). Total dissolved solids (TDS) were reduced from 89,632 mg/L in the effluent water to 14,698 mg/L in purified water (purification efficiency of 84%). Total suspended solids (TSS) were reduced from 35 mg/L in the effluent water to 3.5 mg/L in purified water (purification efficiency of 90%). However, the purification efficiency for free ammonia and residual chlorine was lower. The concentration of free ammonia decreased from 7 mg/L in the effluent sample to 1.89 mg/L in the purified water (purification efficiency of 73%), and residual chlorine reduced from 0.8 mg/L in the effluent sample to 0.2 mg/L in the purified water (purification efficiency of 75%). Water recovery of ≥40% was achievable per pass, which could be increased, but at the expense of purification efficiency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the purification of such complex wastewater containing organic and inorganic compounds, heavy metals, and various minerals using the HyPurif process.

Spatial analysis of heavy metals in septic tank sewage

Heavy metals get to humans through food, water, air, and industrial activities. They arrive at septic tanks through the excretory products of man and undergo anaerobic bioremediation. Effluent and sludge sewage in both chambers of the tank contains various amounts of trace metals. The research analyses the spatial distribution of heavy metals in the effluent and sludge components of the septic tank during bioremediation. Effluent and sludge samples were randomly collected from three study locations in southern Nigeria, and composite samples were made for each of these study locations. Nine trace metals were analysed using standard methods by the American Public Health Association (APHA) for water and wastewater examination. Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Cr were the most abundant. Effluent heavy metals concentrations were higher in the inlet chamber. There were strong positive correlation (r = 0.90, 0.99, and 0.99) between the effluent and sludge samples. P-values obtained from the ANOVA at a 0.05 significance level confirmed the correlation values. Multivariate charts and regression analysis gave R2-values in the range of 0.3045 – 0.3724 in the study with a mean value of 0.33. In conclusion, the effluent and sludge samples were strongly correlated and all the metal types analysed were also present in the sludge in similar proportions. The sludge contained significant levels of trace metals with dire implications for the environment.

Application of a homemade silica-based mixed-mode ion-exchange sorbent for the determination of drugs in environmental water samples

Two homemade silica-based mixed-mode ion-exchange sorbents with strong moieties were compared for the solid-phase extraction (SPE) of a group of pharmaceuticals, drugs of abuse and metabolites. The difference between sorbents was the presence of graphene microparticles embedded in the network and the best results were obtained with the sorbent that did not contain graphene. The optimum SPE protocol of the non-graphene sorbent was: loading pH at 3, different loading volumes depending on the type of sample, 2 mL of MeOH as washing solvent. The optimized method was validated for the analysis of water samples of environmental interest (river water, effluent wastewater and influent wastewater). Apparent recoveries ranged from 22 to 68%, matrix effect values were lower than ±20 for most compounds, and method detection limits ranged from 1 to 28 ng/L and method quantification limits from 2 to 56 ng/L. Precision was obtained as percentual relative standard deviation (RSD%, n=4) and the repeatability and reproducibility between days were always lower than 18%. The sorbent was used to determine the analytes in environmental water samples, where most compounds were found in the range from 2 to 180 ng/L in river samples, from 3 to 2547 ng/L in effluent wastewater samples and from 24 to 8086 ng/L in influent wastewater samples.

Fabrication and characterization of Fe3O4@Ag nanoparticles adsorbent for the simultaneous measurement of chromium and manganese in steel factory effluent samples by X-ray fluorescence using experimental design optimization

Fabrication and characterization of Fe3O4@Ag nanoparticles adsorbent for the simultaneous measurement of chromium and manganese in steel factory effluent samples by X-ray fluorescence using experimental design optimization

Physico-chemical quality of ashes post-incineration and waste from laboratory automaton biochemistry, hematology and serology in Togo

Biochemistry, hematology and serology laboratories produce very heterogeneous discharges capable of polluting water, soil and the environment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the physico-chemical quality of the ashes, effluents and the range of equipment that produce the much effluent and pollutions.This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study of 82 laboratories followed by the sampling of effluents from automatons. The physico-chemical parameters and trace elements are determined according to French Standardization Association (AFNOR) standards and used atomic absorption spectrometers and molecular absorption spectrometers. The Mindray hematology automaton is used for 64.7% and 81.5% of the cans are used to collect waste. Semehow 77.8% of discharges are released into sinks without adequate treatment in 42.6% of cases. Chemical analyses show that trace elements (TE) levels in effluents range from 5.89 ± 0.21 to 105.80 ± 0.96 μg/L for Arsenic; from 5.62 ± 0.34 to 6.53 ± 0.49 μg/L for Cadmium; 0.70 ± 0.01 to 10.63 ± 1.17 μg/L for Mercure and 35.72 ± 1.88 to 61.98 ± 5.15 μg/L for Plomb. pH ranges from 7.17 ± 0.65 to 8.3 ± 1.35 with total dissolved salts (TDS) range from 3260.20 ± 401.68 to 17117.41 ± 265.37 mg/L. All averages of contamination indices (CI) and polymetallic contamination indices (PCI) for post-incineration ashes are greater than 1.5 with the exception of Hg (0.22). For effluents, in addition to polymetallic contamination indices (PCI), CI in hematology effluents (1.09), all CI are less than 1. Hematology effluents have a lower pH and are much more mineralized and concentrated in trace elements while those from biochemistry and serology appear to be similar. However, the effluents of Biochemistry and Serology are more basic and concentrated in Suspended Solids with higher values obtained in Biochemistry. Although the physico-chemical parameters comply with WHO standards, discharges from automatons deserve appropriate treatment before their disposal.

A green method for the determination of illicit drugs in wastewater and surface waters-based on a semi-automated liquid-liquid microextraction device

Liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) is a simple, low-cost, and eco-friendly technique that enables the detection of trace concentrations of organic contaminants in water samples. In this work, a novel customized microextraction device was developed for the LPME extraction and preconcentration of nine illicit drugs in surface water and influent and effluent wastewater samples, followed by analysis by GC–MS without derivatization. The customized device was semi-automated by coupling it with a peristaltic pump to perform the collection of the upper layer of the organic phase. The extraction parameters affecting the LPME efficiency were optimized. The optimized conditions were: 100 µL of a toluene/DCM/EtAc mixture as extractor solvent; 30min of extraction time under vortex agitation (500rpm) and a solution pH of 11.6. The limits of detection and quantification ranged from 10.5ng L−1 (ethylone) to 22.0ng L−1 (methylone), and from 34.9ng L−1 to 73.3ng L−1 for these same compounds, respectively. The enrichment factors ranged from 39.7 (MDMA) to 117 (cocaethylene) and the relative recoveries ranged from 80.4% (N-ethylpentylone) to 120% (cocaine and cocaine-d3). The method was applied to real surface water, effluent, and influent wastewater samples collected in Salvador City, Bahia, Brazil. Cocaine was the main drug detected and quantified in wastewater samples, and its concentration ranged from 312ng L−1 to 1,847ng L−1. Finally, the AGREE metrics were applied to verify the greenness of the proposed method, and an overall score of 0.56 was achieved, which was considered environmentally friendly.

Occurrence and prevalence of antibiotics in wastewater treatment plants and effluent receiving rivers in South Africa using UHPLC-MS determination

The increased usage of antibiotics over the recent years has led to an increased interest in monitoring their presence in wastewater all over the world. In this study the occurrence of sixteen (16) selected antibiotics (amoxicillin, ampicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, metronidazole, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, penicillin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfapyridine, sulfamethizole, tetracycline and trimethoprim) were determined in two wastewater treatment plants and two effluent receiving rivers in Northern part of Pretoria, South Africa. Targeted screening and identification of antibiotics was done using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry after sample clean-up and pre-concentration using solid phase extraction. The concentrations of the targeted antibiotics detected in influent samples ranged between 0.78 and 96.8 ng mL−1 and those in effluent were between 0.12 and 9.89 ng mL−1. The highest recorded concentrations in all samples were those of doxycycline (30.9–120 ng mL−1) and sulfamethoxazole (2.52–96.8 ng mL−1) in effluent and influent samples, respectively. The concentrations of antibiotics in the rivers receiving effluents were between 0.03 and 72.8 ng mL−1 in upstream samples and 0.008–76.8 ng mL−1 in downstream samples, indicating that there is other source of contaminate to these rivers other than the treatment plants. Risk assessment using the hazard quotients ranged between 0.24 and 889 indicating that the presence of these antibiotics and antibiotic mixtures posed higher ecological risks to aquatic organisms. From the study, it could be concluded that wastewater treatment plants were releasing antibiotics to the environment and posing a risk to the aquatic ecosystem and public health. Therefore, there is a need to research into developing more efficient conventional wastewater treatment technologies that can completely remove antibiotics from wastewater.

Effects of Electroplating Effluents on Growth, Heavy Metals Accumulation and Concentrations in Amaranthus viridis Lin.

Pollution in recent times has become prevalent due to industrial expansion, hence, releasing pollutants into the environment. Thus, this study aimed at investigating the effects of effluents from electroplating companies on growth, heavy metals accumulation and concentrations in Amaranthus viridis. Seeds of A. viridis were obtained from the National Institute of Horticulture, Ibadan. Loam soils were collected from Lagos State University and two samples of electroplating effluents were obtained from Oregun, Lagos. Seeds were sown, nursed, and transplanted in a uniform bucket filled with 5 kg loam soil and transplanted seedlings were treated with Effluent A (5 and 10% conc.) and Effluent B (5 and 10% conc.) and control respectively. Growth parameters such as plant height and so on were measured and plant samples harvested were analyzed for heavy metal concentrations using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Data collected were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance. Results revealed that Effluents A and B are highly acidic and above discharge limits. Also, the result revealed that 5% conc. of Effluents A and B had more effects on growth (p &lt; 0.05) of A. viridis across the harvests than 10% conc. in relation to control. This result showed that the effluent samples affect the growth rhythms of plants. Results further revealed vigorous accumulation of the heavy metals: Zn (241.66 µg kg–1 ± 0.10 at third harvest in Effluent A: 10%), Cu (68.25 µg kg–1 ± 0.23 at first harvest in Effluent B: 5%), Cr (500 µg kg–1 ± 0.90 in harvests at all concentrations.) and Ni (500 µg kg–1 ± 0.90 at third harvest in Effluent B: 5%) and all these metals are far above the control and permissible limits of WHO/FAO recommendations. From this study, it could be concluded that electroplating effluents had adverse effects on growth and increased metals’ bioaccumulation in A. viridis. Therefore, the treatment of effluents to enhance an eco-friendly environment should be done.

A Snapshot of the Influent and Effluent Bacterial Populations in a Wastewater Treatment Plant in the North-West Province, South Africa

Wastewater treatment plants receive influent wastewater that is contaminated with bacterial pathogens which may be released into the environment if the plant effluent is inadequately treated. In this study, next-generation sequencing was used to perform a 16S rDNA-based survey of bacterial populations in the influent and effluent from a treatment facility in the North-West Province (SA). In total, 3638 and 3872 effective DNA reads were obtained for the influent and effluent, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed the detection of a diverse bacterial constituency in both the influent and effluent samples. The phyla: Proteobacteria (49.82% and 52.04%), Firmicutes (14.06% and 13.14%) and Actinobacteria (5.00% and 9.99%) were found to be taxonomically abundant in the influent and effluent, respectively. This translated to the detection of biological treatment-, fecal coliform-, and disease-associated bacterial groups that are classified under the following genera: Escherichia spp., Serratia spp., Aeromonas spp., Legionella spp., Pseudomonas spp., Mycobacterium spp., Clostridium spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp., Comamonas spp., Nitrosomonas spp., Acinetobacter spp., Rhodobacter spp., Paracoccus spp., Hyphomicrobium spp., and Desulfovibrio spp.

Challenges detecting SARS-CoV-2 in Costa Rican domestic wastewater and river water

This study presents the development of a SARS-CoV-2 detection method for domestic wastewater and river water in Costa Rica, a middle-income country in Central America. Over a three-year period (November to December 2020, July to November 2021, and June to October 2022), 80 composite wastewater samples (43 influent and 37 effluent) were collected from a Wastewater Treatment Plant (SJ-WWTP) located in San José, Costa Rica. Additionally, 36 river water samples were collected from the Torres River near the SJ-WWTP discharge site. A total of three protocols for SARS-CoV-2 viral concentration and RNA detection and quantification were analyzed. Two protocols using adsorption-elution with PEG precipitation (Protocol A and B, differing in the RNA extraction kit; n = 82) were used on wastewater samples frozen prior to concentration, while wastewater (n = 34) collected in 2022 were immediately concentrated using PEG precipitation. The percent recovery of Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) was highest using the Zymo Environ Water RNA (ZEW) kit with PEG precipitation executed on the same day as collection (mean 6.06 % ± 1.37 %). It was lowest when samples were frozen and thawed, and viruses were concentrated using adsorption-elution and PEG concentration methods using the PureLink™ Viral RNA/DNA Mini (PLV) kit (protocol A; mean 0.48 % ± 0.23 %). Pepper mild mottle virus and Bovine coronavirus were used as process controls to understand the suitability and potential impact of viral recovery on the detection/quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in influent and effluent wastewater samples collected in 2022 but not in earlier years when the method was not optimized. The burden of SARS-CoV-2 at the SJ-WWTP decreased from week 36 to week 43 of 2022, coinciding with a decline in the national COVID-19 prevalence rate. Developing comprehensive nationwide surveillance programs for wastewater-based epidemiology in low-middle-income countries involves significant technical and logistical challenges.

Decentralized environmental applications of a smartphone-based method for chemical oxygen demand and color analysis

This study is focused on a proposal of a smartphone imaging-based quantification for providing a simple and rapid method for the analysis of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color throughout the use of the HSV and/or RGB model in digital devices. For COD, calibration curves were done based on the theoretical values of potassium biphthalate for a proper comparison between the spectrophotometer and the smartphone techniques. The smartphone camera and application attain an average accuracy higher than the analysis in the spectrophotometer (98.3 and 96.2%, respectively). In the color analysis, it was demonstrated that only the UV–vis bands measurement is not feasible to perform the real abatement of the dye in the water because the limiting concentration that allows obtaining a linear relationship in this equipment related to the dye concentration is about 10 mg L−1. Above this value, the spectrophotometer can not reach the real difference of color in the solution. Meanwhile, the smartphone method by using the camera reaches linearity until 50 mg L−1. From an environmental point of view, smartphones have been used for monitoring several organic and inorganic pollutants, however, no attempts have been published related to their use to evaluate the color and COD during wastewater treatment. Therefore, this investigation also aims to assess the utilization of these methods, for the first time, when high-colored water polluted by methylene blue (MB) was electrochemically treated by using a boron-dopped diamond (BDD) as the anode, with different current densities (j = 30, 45, 60, and 90 mA cm−2). COD and color abatement results clearly showed that different organic matter/color removal efficiencies were achieved, depending on the j used. All the results are aligned with the studies already available in the literature, with the total removal of color in 120 min of electrolysis with 60 and 90 mA cm−2, and almost 80% of COD abatement with the higher j. Moreover, samples of real effluent from beauty salons were compared, with standard deviation varying from only 3 to 40 mg O2 L−1, which is acceptable for COD values close to 2000. Finally, the methods here presented can be a great benefit for public water monitoring policies, since it is cheap and has a decentralized characteristic, given that smartphones are very common and portable devices.

A microcystin synthesis mcyE/ndaF gene assay enables early detection of microcystin production in a tropical wastewater pond

Cyanobacteria can dominate the algal community in wastewater ponds, which can lead to the production of cyanotoxins and their release into the environment. We applied traditional and molecular techniques to identify cyanotoxin hazards and high-risk periods in a tropical wastewater treatment system. Potentially toxic cyanobacteria were identified by microscopy and amplicon sequencing over the course of a year. Toxin gene levels were monitored and compared to toxin production to identify likely toxin producing species and high-risk periods. Cyanobacteria were persistent in the effluent year-round, with Planktothrix and Microcystis the most abundant genera; Microcystis could not be resolved beyond genus using amplicon sequencing, but M. flos-aquae was identified as a dominant species by microscopy. Microcystin toxin was detected for the first time in treated effluent at the beginning of the wet season (December 2018), which correlated with an increase in Microcystis amplicon sequence abundance and elevated microcystin toxin gene (mcyE/ndaF) levels. Concomitantly, microscopy data showed an increase in M. flos-aquae but not M. aeruginosa. These data informed a refined sampling campaign in 2019 and results showed a strong correlation between mcyE/ndaF gene abundance, microcystin toxin levels and Microcystis amplicon sequence abundance. Microscopy data showed that in addition to M. flos-aquae, M. aeruginosa was also abundant in February and March 2019, with highest levels coinciding with toxin detection and toxin gene levels. M. aeruginosa was the most abundant Microcystis species detected in selected treated effluent samples by metagenomics analysis, and elevated levels coincided with toxin production. All microcystin genes in the biosynthesis pathway were detected, but microcystin genes from Planktothrix agardhii were not detected.Gene toxin assays were successfully used to predict microcystin production in this wastewater system. Changes in amplicon sequence relative abundance were a useful indicator of changes in the cyanobacterial community. We found that metagenomics was useful not just for identifying the most abundant Microcystis species, but the detection of microcystin biosynthesis genes helped confirm this genus as the most likely toxin producer in this system. We recommend toxin gene testing for the early detection of potential toxin producing cyanobacteria to manage the risk of toxicity and allow the implementation of risk management strategies.

Novel inflammatory mediator profile observed during pediatric heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and continuous ultrafiltration

BackgroundCardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with systemic inflammation, featuring increased levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. Intra-operative ultrafiltration extracts fluid and inflammatory factors potentially dampening inflammation-related organ dysfunction and enhancing post-operative recovery. This study aimed to define the impact of continuous subzero-balance ultrafiltration (SBUF) on circulating levels of major inflammatory mediators.MethodsTwenty pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery, CPB and SBUF were prospectively enrolled. Blood samples were collected prior to CPB initiation (Pre-CPB Plasma) and immediately before weaning off CPB (End-CPB Plasma). Ultrafiltrate effluent samples were also collected at the End-CPB time-point (End-CPB Effluent). The concentrations of thirty-nine inflammatory factors were assessed and sieving coefficients were calculated.ResultsA profound increase in inflammatory cytokines and activated complement products were noted in plasma following CBP. Twenty-two inflammatory mediators were detected in the ultrafiltrate effluent. Novel mediators removed by ultrafiltration included cytokines IL1-Ra, IL-2, IL-12, IL-17A, IL-33, TRAIL, GM-CSF, ET-1, and the chemokines CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CXCL1, CXCL2 and CXCL10. Mediator extraction by SBUF was significantly associated with molecular mass < 66 kDa (Chi2 statistic = 18.8, Chi2 with Yates’ correction = 16.0, p < 0.0001). There was a moderate negative linear correlation between molecular mass and sieving coefficient (Spearman R = − 0.45 and p = 0.02). Notably, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was not efficiently extracted by SBUF.ConclusionsCPB is associated with a burden of circulating inflammatory mediators, and SBUF selectively extracts twenty of these pro-inflammatory factors while preserving the key anti-inflammatory regulator IL-10. Ultrafiltration could potentially function as an immunomodulatory therapy during pediatric cardiac surgery.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05154864. Registered retrospectively on December 13, 2021. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT05154864.

Gold nanoparticles embedded Fe-BTC (AuNPs@Fe-BTC) metal-organic framework as a fluorescence sensor for the selective detection of As(III) in contaminated waters

In this article, a new off-mode fluorescent platform based on the metal-organic framework (MOF) is introduced as a highly selective and rapid chemical sensor for the detection of As(III) in water and wastewater samples. A typical Fe-BTC (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate or trimesic acid) MOF was used as a porous template for loading gold nanoparticles (AuNPs@Fe-BTC MOF). The physicochemical properties of AuNPs@Fe-BTC MOF were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EAX), element mapping (MAP) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. This sensing method for As(III) ions is based on the fact that the fluorescence intensity of AuNPs@Fe-BTC MOF sensor decreases in proportion to the increase in As(III) concentration. The main effective factors on the performance of the sensor signal such as MOF dosage, sonication time, pH and reaction time were optimized. Under optimized conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the concentration range of 0.5–380 ng mL−1 of As(III) and the limit of detection was 0.2 ng mL−1. The proposed method was successfully validated by addition/recovery experiments by the determination of As(III) in four river water and two wastewater effluent samples.