Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Advances in Biodegradation of Pollutants

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 April 2023) | Viewed by 17227

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jiayang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Interests: fermentation; enzyme characterization and application; biodegradation of organic pollutants; eco-toxicity

Dr. Nosir Shukurov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Geology and Geophysics, University of Geological Sciences, State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Geology and Mineral Resources, Tashkent 100041, Uzbekistan
Interests: environmental geochemistry; biogeochemistry; environmental pollution assessment; heavy metals in soils: concentrations, chemical and mineralogical forms, and their bioavailability; soil microorganisms; bioindication; bioremediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Luiz Fernando Romanholo Ferreira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Waste and Effluent Treatment Laboratory (WETL), Institute of Technology and Research (ITP), Tiradentes University (UNIT), Aracaju, Sergipe 49032-490, Brazil
Interests: environmental microbiology; microbial biotechnology applied microbiology; bioprocess engineering and fermentation technology; bioremediation; biodegradation; waste management; environmental science; biotechnology; biochemistry; ecotoxicology; microbiotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues

A Topical Collection on advances in biodegradation of pollutants in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is being organized. For detailed information on the journal, I refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

A variety of synthetic compounds, particularly emerging contaminants such as antibiotics, PFAs, and PAHs, have been consistently designed and produced to develop the entire society, in addition to naturally generated organic materials, such as agro-wastes, that are regarded as wastes due to inadequate utilization and inappropriate treatment and disposal. They can, however, accumulate in nature beyond the natural carrying capacity and have a negative influence on the ecosystem. These pollutants have been discovered to contribute to environmental degradation and ecosystem imbalance, as well as a variety of human ailments. Researchers and practitioners in this sector are attempting to reduce their environmental impact through a variety of methods. Developing biological solutions for removing pollutants and lowering ecological risk is critical and makes a significant contribution to our planet's long-term sustainability. Biodegradation differs from chemical degradation because it involves a sequence of biological reactions in vivo or in vitro and has the advantages of gentle reaction conditions, low cost, and less secondary pollutants formation, as well as the reuse of some wastes.

This issue aims to collect the latest achievements in the biodegradation of pollutants, both natural and synthetic, facilitating scientists and practitioners to better understand the bioprocesses and environmental implications. The keywords are listed below to provide an outline of possible areas of interest.

Dr. Jiayang Liu
Dr. Nosir Shukurov
Dr. Luiz Fernando Romanholo Ferreira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biodegradation
wastewater
solid wastes
organic pollutants
emerging contaminants
soil microorganisms
microbial
enzymatic
degradation pathway
aerobic and anaerobic
ecotoxicity assessment

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 4034 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Technological, Ecological, and Energy-Economic Aspects of Using Solidified Carbon Dioxide for Aerobic Granular Sludge Pre-Treatment Prior to Anaerobic Digestion

by Joanna Kazimierowicz, Marcin Dębowski and Marcin Zieliński

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4234; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054234 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1576

Abstract

The technology of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) seems prospective in wastewater bio-treatment. The characteristics as well as compactness and structure of AGS have been proved to significantly affect the effectiveness of thus far deployed methods for sewage sludge processing, including anaerobic digestion (AD). Therefore, it is deemed necessary to extend knowledge on the possibilities of efficient AGS management and to seek viable technological solutions for methane fermentation of sludge of this type, including by means of using the pre-treatment step. Little is known about the pre-treatment method with solidified carbon dioxide (SCO₂), which can be recovered in processes of biogas upgrading and enrichment, leading to biomethane production. This study aimed to determine the impact of AGS pre-treatment with SCO₂ on the efficiency of its AD. An energy balance and a simplified economic analysis of the process were also carried out. It was found that an increasing dose of SCO₂ applied in the pre-treatment increased the concentrations of COD, N-NH₄⁺, and P-PO₄³⁻ in the supernatant in the range of the SCO₂/AGS volume ratios from 0.0 to 0.3. No statistically significant differences were noted above the latter value. The highest unit yields of biogas and methane production, reaching 476 ± 20 cm³/gVS and 341 ± 13 cm³/gVS, respectively, were obtained in the variant with the SCO₂/AGS ratio of 0.3. This experimental variant also produced the highest positive net energy gain, reaching 1047.85 ± 20 kWh/ton total solids (TS). The use of the higher than 0.3 SCO₂ doses was proved to significantly reduce the pH of AGS (below 6.5), thereby directly diminishing the percentage of methanogenic bacteria in the anaerobic bacterial community, which in turn contributed to a reduced CH₄ fraction in the biogas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradation of Pollutants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accumulation Potential Cadmium and Lead by Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under Citric and Glutaric Acid-Assisted Phytoextraction

by Zhixin Niu, Xiaojun Li and Mohammad Mahamood

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4107; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054107 - 25 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2137

Abstract

Organic acid assistance is one of the effective methods for phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil. In this experiment, the addition of citric and glutaric acids was selected to improve the accumulation of cadmium and lead by Helianthus annuus L. Results showed that citric and glutaric acids elevated the growth of the plants and stimulated Cd/Pb uptake by plant in single Cd/Pb treatments, but glutaric acid showed inhibitory action on the uptake of metals in complex treatments. Organic acids impacted the translocation of Cd/Pb differently, and citric acids (30 mg·L⁻¹) enhanced the translocation of Cd to aerial parts of the plants in Cd (5 mg·kg⁻¹) and Cd (10 mg·kg⁻¹) plus Pb treatments. Glutaric acid (30 mg·L⁻¹) could promote the translocation factors in the complex treatments of Cd (5 mg·kg⁻¹) with Pb (50, 100 mg·kg⁻¹) added. The application of citric and glutaric acid could be conducive to increase floral growth when proper doses are used, and incorporation of these organic acids can be a useful approach to assist cadmium and lead uptake by sunflower. However, growth, bioaccumulation, and translocation of metals may differ due to the metals’ property, kinds, and concentrations of organic acids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradation of Pollutants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2713 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isolation and Degradation Characteristics of PBAT Film Degrading Bacteria

by Rehemanjiang Wufuer, Wenfeng Li, Shuzhi Wang and Jia Duo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17087; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417087 - 19 Dec 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3405

Abstract

In recent years, PBAT (polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate) mulch has become one of the most commonly used biodegradable mulching films. In this paper, five potential strains of PBAT film degrading bacteria were screened from the soil sample using PBAT film as the sole carbon source. A highly efficient PBAT degrading strain JZ1 was isolated by comparing the degradation performance of PBAT mulching film identified as Peribacillus frigoritolerans S2313 by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The capacity of the strain to degrade PBAT film was optimized by adjusting the cultivation conditions such as nitrogen source, pH, and inoculum volume. After 8 weeks of cultivation, the actual degradation rate of the strain to PBAT mulch film reached 12.45%. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) coupled with EDX (energy dispersive spectroscopy) analysis showed that microbial degradation is an oxidation process and is mainly due to the amorphous regions of the PBAT film. The biodegradation of PBAT film by Peribacillus frigoritolerans may provide a promising method for regulating the degradation progress of PBAT film in the farmlands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradation of Pollutants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 5234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Keratinolytic Properties of Aspergillus clavatus Promising for Biodegradation

by Svetlana Timorshina, Elizaveta Popova, Valeriana Kreyer, Nina Baranova and Alexander Osmolovskiy

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 13939; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113939 - 26 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1903

Abstract

The high demand for keratinolytic enzymes and the modest presentation of fungal keratinase diversity studies in scientific sources cause a significant interest in identifying new fungal strains of keratinase producers, isolating new enzymes and studying their properties. Four out of the 32 cultures showed a promising target activity on protein-containing agar plates—Aspergillus amstelodami A6, A. clavatus VKPM F-1593, A. ochraceus 247, and Cladosporium sphaerospermum 1779. The highest values of keratinolytic activity were demonstrated by extracellular proteins synthesized by Aspergillus clavatus VKPM F-1593 cultivated under submerged conditions on a medium containing milled chicken feathers. The enzyme complex preparation was obtained by protein precipitation from the culture liquid with ammonium sulfate, subsequent dialysis, and lyophilization. The fraction of a pure enzyme with keratinolytic activity (pI 9.3) was isolated by separating the extracellular proteins of A. clavatus VKPM F-1593 via isoelectric focusing. The studied keratinase was an alkaline subtilisin-like non-glycosylated protease active over a wide pH range with optimum keratinolysis at pH 8 and 50 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradation of Pollutants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 6762 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biodegradation of Azo Dye Methyl Red by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Optimization of Process Conditions

by Muhammad Ikram, Mohammad Naeem, Muhammad Zahoor, Abdur Rahim, Marlia Mohd Hanafiah, Adeleke Abdulrahman Oyekanmi, Abdul Bari Shah, Mater H. Mahnashi, Amer Al Ali, Naif A. Jalal, Farkad Bantun and Abdul Sadiq

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 9962; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19169962 - 12 Aug 2022

Cited by 61 | Viewed by 4951

Abstract

Water pollution due to textile dyes is a serious threat to every life form. Bacteria can degrade and detoxify toxic dyes present in textile effluents and wastewater. The present study aimed to evaluate the degradation potential of eleven bacterial strains for azo dye methyl red. The optimum degradation efficiency was obtained using P. aeruginosa. It was found from initial screening results that P. aeruginosa is the most potent strain with 81.49% degradation activity and hence it was subsequently used in other degradation experiments. To optimize the degradation conditions, a number of experiments were conducted where only one variable was varied at a time and where maximum degradation was observed at 20 ppm dye concentration, 1666.67 mg/L glucose concentration, 666.66 mg/L sodium chloride concentration, pH 9, temperature 40 °C, 1000 mg/L urea concentration, 3 days incubation period, and 66.66 mg/L hydroquinone (redox mediator). The interactive effect of pH, incubation time, temperature, and dye concentration in a second-order quadratic optimization of process conditions was found to further enhance the biodegradation efficiency of P. aeruginosa by 88.37%. The metabolites of the aliquot mixture of the optimized conditions were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), GC-MS, proton, and carbon 13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques. FTIR results confirmed the reduction of the azo bond of methyl red. The Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) results revealed that the degraded dye contains benzoic acid and o-xylene as the predominant constituents. Even benzoic acid was isolated from the silica gel column and identified by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. These results indicated that P. aeruginosa can be utilized as an efficient strain for the detoxification and remediation of industrial wastewater containing methyl red and other azo dyes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradation of Pollutants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 13943 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biodecolorization and Ecotoxicity Abatement of Disperse Dye-Production Wastewater Treatment with Pycnoporus Laccase

by Bin Wang, Yanjun Chen, Jian Guan, Yiwen Ding, Yide He, Xueying Zhang, Nosir Shukurov, Luiz Fernando Romanholo Ferreira, Jiayang Liu and Mingxin Zhu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7983; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137983 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

The biological treatment efficiency of dye wastewater using activated sludge (AS) is largely limited to the chromaticity and ecotoxicity of dyestuff. To alleviate this limitation, eleven industrial-grade disperse dyes were obtained from a fiber-dyeing factory, and for the first time, we studied the decolorization and detoxification effects of using the Pycnoporus laccase enzyme. Efficient decolorization was achieved with the following conditions: dye concentration 50 mg/L, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) 0.15 mM, temperature 65 °C, pH 4, and laccase 0.33 U/mL. The decolorization rate of disperse dyes, ranging from 51 to 96% in this investigation, was highly dependent on the dye type, concentration, laccase loading, and HBT. The ecotoxicity of dyes was evaluated by studying the germination/growth of wheat seed as well as the respiratory rate of aerobic AS. Laccase treatment mitigated the phytotoxicity of dyes because of the higher wheat germination (e.g., increase of 38% for Black ECT 200%) and growth rate (e.g., increase of 91% for Blue 2BLN 200%). The reduced ecotoxicity of decolorized dye solution towards microorganisms was also confirmed by the finding that the oxygen uptake by aerobic AS was increased relative to that of the untreated samples (e.g., increase of 14 folds for Blue HGL 200%). In addition, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of decolorized dye solution was slightly lower than that without decolorization during the respiratory test. The experimental results suggest that enzymatic decolorization and detoxification can be potentially used as a pretreatment method for disperse dye wastewater followed by AS treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biodegradation of Pollutants)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Advances in Biodegradation of Pollutants

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI