The increase in sheep populations to meet the demand for meat generates large volumes of sheep wool, most of which is considered agro-industrial waste and poses a potential risk of contamination due to improper handling. Protein recovery is an attractive strategy for generating agricultural inputs, such as protein hydrolysates (PHs). This study aimed to evaluate the agrobiotechnological potential of sheep wool-derived PHs as (i) an alternative peptone source for Trichoderma harzianum and (ii) growth-promoting inputs in hydroponic green fodder (HGF) production. To this end, an alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysis process was evaluated, incorporating pretreatment with an anionic surfactant applied to sheep wool. SDBS-pretreated wool underwent alkaline solubilization (2.5% NaOH) followed by enzymatic hydrolysis using Esperase® or papain. The process achieved 90-92% solubilization and 29-39% hydrolysis, producing peptides of 10-2 kDa and increasing soluble nitrogen and primary amino groups. Compounds with reducing capacity were also detected without affecting antioxidant activity (FRAP and DPPH), particularly in the Esperase®. Sheep wool hydrolysates used as a peptone source promoted moderate mycelial growth and sporulation of T. harzianum, while enhancing enzymatic activity associated with biological control potential, as indicated by increased halo diameters. Furthermore, foliar application of hydrolysates at 3 g L[-][1] in HGF promoted greater shoot length (8.2-9.6%) and higher total protein content (27.2%) compared to the control, along with an increase in dry matter content (4.1%). Overall, alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysis of sheep wool represents a promising strategy to produce bio-based inputs for microbial culture and plant growth.

This study compared the concentrations, operationally defined chemical fractions, and screening-level environmental risks of Cu, Cr, Zn, Cd, Ni, and Pb in 20 dewatered sludge samples collected from drinking-water treatment plants (DWTPs; n = 3), municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs; n = 11), and industrial wastewater treatment plants (IWWTPs; n = 6) in Taiwan. A modified BCR sequential extraction procedure was used to separate acid-extractable (F1), reducible (F2), oxidizable (F3), and residual (F4) fractions. MWDWTP sludge contained comparatively high Zn and Cd concentrations, whereas several IWWTP samples showed elevated Cu, Cr, Ni, and Pb. Cu, Cr, Ni, and Pb were frequently associated with F3 and/or F4, while Zn and Cd showed substantial F2 contributions at several sites. Concentration-based indices identified marked enrichment at selected facilities, whereas fraction-based indices indicated that mobility depended on both metal and sludge category. High Igeo values therefore represent enrichment relative to background and do not necessarily indicate high immediate mobility when metals occur mainly in F3 or F4. These results support site-specific evaluation of total metal loads and chemical fractionation before sludge reuse, treatment, or disposal.

The study evaluates the degradation of a mixture of frequently detected endocrine disrupting chemicals in municipal wastewater using six sequential biological-advanced oxidation treatment systems. The evaluated systems include UV, H2O2, and UV/H2O2 applied before or after biological treatment. The performance of the conventional municipal treatment plant was compared with sequential processes under previously optimized operating conditions (pH ≈ 5 (AOP), 7 (bio), 450 W UV power, 2.0 mM H2O2, reaction time for AOP: 60 min, and bio process: 6 h). The conventional system achieved only 36.41 ± 0.53% to 55.11 ± 0.48% removal of the mixture of target EDCs, whereas the bio/UV/H2O2 was the most effective, achieving complete diethyl phthalate removal and >90 ± 0.65% of butyl paraben and bisphenol A, with 90.5 ± 1.33% reduction in chemical oxygen demand. The pseudo-first-order kinetic analysis indicated an enhanced degradation efficiency, with a maximum rate constant of 0.0048 min[-][1]. The energy consumption ranged from 9.47 × 10[2] to 1.56 × 10[4] kWh kg[-][1] COD, with the operating cost primarily driven by electricity (≈0.16 USD L[-][1]). These findings provide mechanistic and comparative insight into hybrid treatment performance under controlled conditions; however, validation under environmentally relevant concentrations and continuous-flow systems is required before practical implementation.

Wastewater utilities require a systematic method for screening agro-industrial co-substrates before testing them in sewage-sludge digesters. This study developed and applied a hierarchical preliminary screening framework based on physicochemical characterisation, biochemical methane potential assays, first-order kinetic modelling, and volumetric methane production. Seven waste streams were evaluated individually: a fat-rich fraction recovered from meat-processing wash water, four meat-processing wash waters, used cooking oil, and confectionery-production wash water. Eight fixed-ratio mixtures were then assessed using selected meat-processing streams, cheese whey, olive mill wastewater, and winery wastewater. Specific methane production of the individual waste streams ranged from 0.087 to 0.969 m[3] CH4 kg[-][1] VS. Across the mixtures, final SMP ranged from 0.390 to 0.855 m[3] CH4 kg[-][1] VS and t90 from 9.0 to 23.3 d. TS, VS, and COD were associated with volumetric methane production at days 10 and 30 but not with final SMP, k, or t90. The COD-VMP10 and TS-VMP30 models explained 87.5% and 86.0% of the variability, showing that volumetric methane output was influenced by feedstock concentration. Biochemical compatibility was classified using final SMP, t90, and evidence of sustained methane suppression; VMP10 and VMP30 then refined priorities within each category. The cheese whey + meat-processing wash water R2 mixture (M1; 1:1 v/v) was prioritised because it combined high SMP (0.792 m[3] CH4 kg[-][1] VS), rapid apparent conversion (t90 = 11.8 d), and the highest volumetric relevance. The framework converts physicochemical and BMP-derived results into a traceable basis for selecting external co-substrates for subsequent controlled validation with municipal sludge.

This study evaluated the removal and behavior of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) in pilot-scale integrated anaerobic-aerobic wastewater treatment systems, which were tested at different effluent recirculation rates (0%, 50%, and 100%). The systems combined UASB reactors and anaerobic filters with activated sludge reactors and submerged aerated biofilters treating typical domestic sewage. LAS concentrations, loads, adsorption, and chromatographic profiles of homologues and positional isomers were investigated to better understand the mechanisms that govern surfactant removal under different hydraulic conditions. The influent LAS concentrations ranged from 2.55 ± 0.34 to 3.43 ± 1.31 mg L[-][1]. Aerobic units consistently showed higher LAS removal efficiencies than anaerobic units, achieving a peak removal of 75 ± 17% and an overall system removal of 68 ± 38% at a recirculation rate of 50%. Conversely, higher recirculation rates increased hydraulic loading and promoted LAS desorption in anaerobic units, resulting in higher LAS loads during some treatment stages. Chromatographic analyses indicated that aerobic units selectively biodegraded LAS positional isomers, while adsorption was the dominant process in anaerobic sludge. The results demonstrate that LAS removal in integrated anaerobic-aerobic systems is governed by interactions among hydraulic conditions, adsorption/desorption processes, and aerobic biodegradation, providing practical insights for optimizing surfactant removal in wastewater treatment systems.

Textile industry wastewater consists of colored wastewater containing high concentrations of organic matter, complex components, reactive dyes, and chemical residues. While reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems are frequently used to sustainably manage high-volume wastewater streams, they also produce a concentrated, resistant, and nonbiodegradable effluent. In this study, the photo-Fenton process was applied and optimized using Box-Behnken Design (BBD) to treat RO concentrate containing high concentrations of toxic and pollutant species. H2O2/COD, Fe[2+]/H2O2, and reaction time were selected as operating parameters, while COD, color index (CI), ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV254), and ultraviolet absorbance at 280 nm (UV280) removal efficiencies were selected as model responses. Statistically, the model's fits were evaluated using variance analysis. Numerical analysis determined the optimum process conditions as H2O2/COD 2.0, Fe[2+]/H2O2 0.25, and reaction time 68.4 min at pH 3.0. Under optimum conditions, the validation experiments demonstrated that the photo-Fenton process achieved removal efficiencies of 78.5% for COD, 96.6% for CI, 82.5% for total suspended solids, 92.8% for UV254, and 85.0% for UV280. The calculated operating cost of the process was 14.3 €/m[3]. The obtained results showed that the applied photo-Fenton process effectively removed pollutants from RO concentrate, and that the BBD could be used to optimize its operating conditions.

In nature, fungi play a leading role in the biodegradation of organic waste by secreting a broad spectrum of lignocellulolytic enzymes (cellulases, hemicellulases, and ligninases). Inspired by this natural ecological synergy, in the present study, two promising fungal isolates, Trichoderma sp. isolate HR27 and Ganoderma sp. isolate HR31, were isolated and assessed for biocompatibility. Subsequently, their consortium was utilized for single-factorial optimization of various parameters (inoculum size, incubation time, lignocellulosic substrate, temperature, moisture content, pH, surfactant, nitrogen source, co-substrate, and inducer) under solid-state fermentation (SSF) using lignocellulosic waste for enhanced lignocellulolytic enzyme production. The results revealed that a significant increase in enzyme yield was achieved by utilizing wheat straw as the substrate, supplemented with 1.5 g/L Tween 80 and 0.5 mM CuSO4 in Asther's medium with an initial pH of 3.5 at 30˚C. Compared to unoptimized media, optimized media resulted in 5.99, 5.18, 1.13, 2.57, 4.97, and 2.68-fold increases in endoglucanase, exoglucanase, β-glucosidase, mannanase, xylanase, and laccase production, respectively, on the fourth day of fermentation. Compositional analysis revealed that enhanced enzyme production under optimized conditions resulted in 31.7% delignification of wheat straw; however, only 22.9% was observed under unoptimized conditions, compared to that of the raw substrate. The removal of lignin resulted in higher exposure of cellulose (43.25%) and hemicellulose (24.85%) contents in wheat straw under optimized conditions. These findings highlight the potential of the fungal consortium as an effective candidate for lignocellulolytic enzyme cocktail production for various industrial applications using agricultural waste with concurrent valorization of agro-waste.

The non-compliant discharge of electroplating wastewater containing nitrate (NO3[-]-N) and heavy metals (HMs) harms aquatic ecosystems and makes it more difficult to control water pollution. This study prepared manganese-modified corn silk (Mn/CS) composite mycelial pellets (Mn-CMP) by combining Mn/CS with the fungal strain Alternaria sp. YNX. These Mn-CMP were then used as novel immobilized carriers to immobilize the strain Zoogloea sp. ZY8 to construct a dual-species immobilized bioreactor. Under optimal conditions, with influent concentrations of 20.0 mg L[-1] NO3[-]-N, 1.0 mg L[-1] Zinc(II) (Zn(II)), and 1.0 mg L[-1] nickel(II) (Ni(II)), the bioreactor achieved simultaneous removal of NO3[-]-N at 97.50%, Zn(II) at 99.50%, and Ni(II) at 96.87%. During this process, manganese (Mn) oxides acted as electron shuttles and active sites to enhance electron transfer, while oxygen-containing functional groups promoted HMs adsorption, and bioprecipitation further facilitated HMs immobilization. Furthermore, high-throughput sequencing revealed core functional genes for nitrogen and energy metabolism, which microorganisms regulated to respond to environmental changes. This study provided a new perspective for using Mn-CMP to immobilize functional bacteria to treat industrial wastewater co-contaminated with NO3[-]-N and HMs.

To address the challenges of prolonged start-up cycles and poor operational stability in biofilm reactors for treating high ammonia nitrogen pollution in aquaculture effluent, this study adopted fulvic acid (FA) as a novel biofilm enhancer to systematically analyze its regulatory mechanisms on denitrification performance and biofilm formation in sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBR). Through microplate biofilm formation experiments and SBBR process validation, researchers found that the biofilm formation index reached 1.4 at an FA concentration of 1200 mg/L. FA improved biofilm structural stability by promoting extracellular polymer secretion, yielding a 22-fold increase in biofilm thickness compared with the control group (the biofilm thickness peaked at 2208.3 μm). Additionally, high FA concentrations (>500 mg/L) strengthened denitrification processes by facilitating carbon source supply and electron transfer, enriched denitrifying functional bacteria such as Comamonadaceae, and inhibited Gram-positive bacteria (e.g., Actinobacteriota). The removal efficiencies of NH4[+]-N, NO3[-]-N, and total nitrogen reached 79.67%, 80% and 62.4%, respectively. This study reveals that FA enhances SBBR denitrification through dual mechanisms of carbon source supplementation and physicochemical property regulation, providing an efficient and cost-effective regulatory strategy for aquaculture effluent treatment.

To properly manage the challenges of small legacy landfill operations in remote areas such as Northern Ontario, it is important to accurately delineate areas of buried waste. A proper delineation of buried waste is required for site life calculations, future development planning and site closure planning. Traditional methods of waste delineation, such as test pitting, can be destructive, expensive and limited by poor site access. This study aims to delineate buried waste at three separate trench-and-fill style landfills using a Frequency-Domain Electromagnetics (FDEM) survey. The results of the FDEM survey were compared to the results of concurrent traditional test-pitting programmes. The EM31-MK2 was successful in accurately determining the lateral extents of buried waste compared to the results of the test-pitting programme. Other geophysical survey methods, used with FDEM surveys, may improve measurements of waste thickness. The calculated areas of buried waste from the FDEM survey were within 6% of the calculated area from the test-pitting programme, with the exception of one site with a large area of thin buried waste. The calculated volumes of waste using the FDEM survey were within 15% of the calculated volumes of waste using the test-pitting programme. Additionally, the area of waste delineated by the FDEM survey had a 70% overlap with the area of waste defined by the test-pitting programme. The accurate delineation of buried waste, combined with the manoeuvrability and ease-of-use of the EM-31 MK2, make it an effective tool for lateral waste delineation at small landfilling sites.

Phosphorus (P) in waste activated sludge (WAS) exists in both intracellular stores and fractions associated with extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). These EPS-bound phosphorus species are often stabilized through metal - phosphate - EPS linkages, which complicate their selective recovery. In this study, five single extraction methods (acidification, alkalization, heating, ultrasound, and EDTA chelation) and one combined approach (ultrasound-EDTA) were comparatively evaluated to elucidate their mechanisms of EPS disruption and P mobilization. Phosphorus speciation behavior under single treatments was characterized using [31]P nuclear magnetic resonance with phytic acid and sodium hexametaphosphate as model compounds, revealing that strong alkaline extraction caused extensive Poly-P depolymerization and OP hydrolysis, whereas EDTA and low-intensity ultrasound preserved P speciation but showed limited extraction efficiency. The ultrasound-EDTA combination achieved a synergistic effect, yielding 62.63 mg·g[-1] TSS of EPS and 9.6 mg·g[-1] TSS of phosphorus with only 13.2% cell apoptosis, comparable to alkaline extraction yet with minimal biological disruption. Confocal microscopic analysis confirmed that the released phosphorus predominantly originated from the EPS matrix, indicating that the hybrid treatment effectively targeted EPS-P while preventing intracellular release. These findings establish a non-destructive extraction pathway based on the coupling of physical cavitation and selective chelation, providing mechanistic insight into EPS-mediated P binding and offering a new strategy for controlled, high-efficiency phosphorus recovery from sludge.

The effects of moisture + extrusion and composting + extrusion treatments on the production of biogas from the anaerobic digestion (AD) of wheat straw (WS) were systematically investigated. The results showed that when the moisture content of WS was adjusted to 55% before extrusion and maintained for 24 h, the biogas production of both the unextruded and extruded samples reached the highest levels, which were 130.48 and 158.41 mL/g, respectively. Based on these results, the WS was further aerobically composted after adjusting its moisture content to 55%, and then extruded for biogas production. The biogas production of unextruded WS initially increased and then decreased, reaching the maximum of 129.40 mL/g when the composting temperature rose to 55°C. In contrast, the biogas production of extruded WS increased at all composting temperatures and reached the maximum of 150.83 mL/g at 55°C, which is 19.49% higher than the initial biogas production of extruded WS at the start of composting. Mechanistic analyses indicated that extrusion reduced particle size, increased specific surface area, and disrupted lignocellulosic structure, while composting promoted partial degradation of hemicellulose and lignin. These structural modifications enhanced substrate accessibility and microbial degradation, thereby boosting biogas production. In conclusion, the combination of composting and extrusion pretreatment can significantly improve the biogas production performance of anaerobic digestion of WS, with an increase ranging from 20.76% to 43.45%, which is worthy of further research.

Soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a pivotal role in governing the environmental behavior and fate of metal ions. The inherent heterogeneity of DOM, however, leads to complex and poorly understood interactions with heavy metals. In this study, soil DOM was fractionated into four pH-dependent fractions via PPL solid-phase extraction combined with sequential acid elution. The binding interactions of these fractions with Cu(II) were systematically investigated through and, coupled with two-dimensional correlation (2D-COS) analysis. The results indicated that low-pH fractions exhibited enhanced aromaticity and more pronounced spectral responses. Regardless of the DOM fraction, 2D-COS analysis revealed that short-wavelength chromophores (< 230 nm) preferentially coordinated with Cu(II), and the binding sequence of fluorescent components followed protein-like > fulvic-like > humic-like components. Moreover, functional group analysis showed that carboxyl C = O groups dominated the binding response, followed by aliphatic C-OH or phenolic O-H, while pH-based fractionation of DOM primarily influenced binding accessibility rather than binding mechanism. Meanwhile, the parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) results revealed that protein-like substances exhibited higher conditional stability constants, whereas humic-like fractions provided more accessible binding sites among the pH-dependent DOM fractions. Collectively, these findings illuminated that the heterogeneous complexation mechanisms between DOM fractions and Cu(II), and provide a basis for assessing environmental geochemical risks of heavy metals.

Sulphate-rich industrial wastewater is often contaminated with heavy metals, yet their influence on microbial sulphate reduction remains poorly understood. This study investigated the response of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in a microbial electrolysis cell (0.8 V, 48 h cycles) to stepwise increasing Cu[2+] concentrations (8-125 mg/L) under stirred conditions. When Cu[2+] concentration increased from 8 to 55 mg/L, sulphate reduction efficiency over 48 h remained stable at approximately 90%, suggesting good SRB tolerance. When Cu[2+] concentration was 85 mg/L, sulphate reduction efficiency over 48 h dropped sharply to 30-60%, coinciding with persistent Cu[2+] removal below 40%. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from cathode effluent, analysed by 3D-EEM and FTIR, showed metal complexation capacity. However, excess Cu[2+] caused cell deformation and lysis, as observed by TEM. These results indicate a concentration-dependent response with a critical toxicity threshold, providing a basis for operating bioelectrochemical systems treating copper-laden sulphate wastewater.