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Environmental Microbiology and Water Pollution Applications
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Environmental Microbiology and Water Pollution Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 10673

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yongguang Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: cyanobacterial toxins and their health risk; microbial biotechnology and corresponding applications in scientific research, industry and environment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water pollution is an important environmental problem for the sustainable development of human society. A huge abundance of microorganisms with versatile functional diversity inhabit aquatic ecosystems. The microbe-driven migration and transformation of pollutants strongly affect water quality. Furthermore, some microbial species themselves cause water pollution, such as bloom-forming or toxic cyanobacteria and red-tide-associated phytoplankton or protists. The biology, ecology and applications of aquatic microorganisms have attracted interest from scientific, industrial and governmental departments. Owing to the application of many advanced techniques such as metagenomic sequencing, synthetic biology, artificial biofilms and microbial fuel cells, the knowledge about environmental microbiology has been greatly increased. This Special Issue aims to publish novel insights into links between environmental microbiology and water pollution applications. The focus of this Issue is mainly on aquatic microbiology and its applications in water pollution control. Novel insights into the biology and ecology of harmful aquatic microorganisms are also welcome. Both surface water and groundwater ecosystems will be suitable. Note that the studies on urban wastewater management are not included.

Dr. Yongguang Jiang
Guest Editor

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

  • environmental microbiology
  • aquatic ecosystem
  • water pollution
  • groundwater pollution
  • eutrophication
  • cyanobacteria
  • microbial ecology
  • biotechnology

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3008 KiB  
Article
Physiological Responses of a Diazotrophic Cyanobacterium to Acidification of Paddy Floodwater: N2 Fixation, Photosynthesis, and Oxidative–Antioxidative Characteristics
by Qiong Yan, Peng Xiao, Jun Li, Yaxian He and Jihai Shao
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15070; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215070 - 16 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1534
Abstract
Long-term of excessive fertilization using nitrogen (N) chemical fertilizer caused the acidification of paddy soils. Presently, the impacts of soil acidification on physiological characteristics of diazotrophic cyanobacteria remain unknown. In order to elucidate this issue, the effects of paddy floodwater acidification on activities [...] Read more.
Long-term of excessive fertilization using nitrogen (N) chemical fertilizer caused the acidification of paddy soils. Presently, the impacts of soil acidification on physiological characteristics of diazotrophic cyanobacteria remain unknown. In order to elucidate this issue, the effects of paddy floodwater acidification on activities of respiration, photosynthetic oxygen evolution, and N2 fixation of a paddy diazotrophic cyanobacterium Aliinostoc sp. YYLX235 were investigated in this study. In addition, the origination and quenching of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed. The acidification of paddy floodwater decreased intracellular pH and interfered in energy flux from light-harvesting chlorophyll antenna to the reaction center of photosystem II (PS II). Activities of respiration, photosynthetic oxygen evolution, and N2 fixation were decreased by the acidification of paddy floodwater. Accompanied with an increase in ROS, the level of antioxidative system increased. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were the main enzymatic ROS scavengers in the cells of YYLX235; reduced glutathione (GSH) was the main non-enzymatic antioxidant. Antioxidants and oxidants in the cells of YYLX235 lost balance when the pH of paddy floodwater fell to 5.0 and 4.0, and lipid oxidative damage happened. The results presented in this study suggest that the acidification of paddy soil severely interfered in the photosynthesis of diazotrophic cyanobacteria and induced the production of ROS, which in turn resulted in oxidative damage on diazotrophic cyanobacteria and a decrease in cell vitality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Microbiology and Water Pollution Applications)
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11 pages, 2132 KiB  
Communication
Time-Resolved Kinetic Measurement of Microalgae Agglomeration for Screening of Polysaccharides-Based Coagulants/Flocculants
by Jinxia Zhou, Yunlu Jia, Xiaobei Gong, Hao Liu and Chengwu Sun
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14610; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114610 - 7 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1736
Abstract
Time-resolved monitoring of microalgae agglomeration facilitates screening of coagulants/flocculants (CFs) from numerous biopolymer candidates. Herein, a filtering-flowing analysis (FFA) apparatus was developed in which dispersed microalgal cells were separated from coagulates and flocs formed by CFs and pumped into spectrophotometer for real-time quantification. [...] Read more.
Time-resolved monitoring of microalgae agglomeration facilitates screening of coagulants/flocculants (CFs) from numerous biopolymer candidates. Herein, a filtering-flowing analysis (FFA) apparatus was developed in which dispersed microalgal cells were separated from coagulates and flocs formed by CFs and pumped into spectrophotometer for real-time quantification. Polysaccharides-based CFs for Microcystis aeruginosa and several other microalgae were tested. Cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose (CHEC), chitosan quaternary ammonium (CQA) and cationic guar gum (CGG) all triggered coagulation obeying a pseudo-second-order model. Maximal coagulation efficiencies were achieved at their respective critical dosages, i.e., 0.086 g/gM.a. CHEC, 0.022 g/gM.a. CQA, and 0.216 g/gM.a. CGG. Although not active independently, bacterial exopolysaccharides (BEPS) aided coagulation of M. aeruginosa and allowed near 100% flocculation efficiency when 0.115 g/gM.a. CQA and 1.44 g/gM.a. xanthan were applied simultaneously. The apparatus is applicable to other microalgae species including Spirulina platensis, S. maxima, Chlorella vulgaris and Isochrysis galbana. Bio-based CFs sorted out using this apparatus could help develop cleaner processes for both remediation of harmful cyanobacterial blooms and microalgae-based biorefineries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Microbiology and Water Pollution Applications)
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15 pages, 2616 KiB  
Article
Arsenic Mobilization and Transformation by Ammonium-Generating Bacteria Isolated from High Arsenic Groundwater in Hetao Plain, China
by Zhou Jiang, Xin Shen, Bo Shi, Mengjie Cui, Yanhong Wang and Ping Li
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9606; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159606 - 4 Aug 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1873
Abstract
Arsenic (As) mobilization in groundwater involves biogeochemical cycles of carbon, iron, and sulfur. However, few studies have focused on the role of nitrogen-metabolizing bacteria in As mobilization, as well as in the transformation between inorganic and organic As in groundwater. In this study, [...] Read more.
Arsenic (As) mobilization in groundwater involves biogeochemical cycles of carbon, iron, and sulfur. However, few studies have focused on the role of nitrogen-metabolizing bacteria in As mobilization, as well as in the transformation between inorganic and organic As in groundwater. In this study, the nitrogen and As metabolisms of Citrobacter sp. G-C1 and Paraclostridium sp. G-11, isolated from high As groundwater in Hetao Plain, China, were characterized by culture experiments and genome sequencing. The results showed Citrobacter sp. G-C1 was a dissimilatory nitrate-reducing bacterium. The dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) and As-detoxifying pathways identified in the genome enabled Citrobacter sp. G-C1 to simultaneously reduce As(V) during DNRA. Paraclostridium sp. G-11 was a nitrogen-fixing bacterium and its nitrogen-fixing activity was constrained by As. Nitrogen fixation and the As-detoxifying pathways identified in its genome conferred the capability of As(V) reduction during nitrogen fixation. Under anaerobic conditions, Citrobacter sp. G-C1 was able to demethylate organic As and Paraclostridium sp. G-11 performed As(III) methylation with the arsM gene. Collectively, these results not only evidenced that ammonium-generating bacteria with the ars operon were able to transform As(V) to more mobile As(III) during nitrogen-metabolizing processes, but also involved the transformation between inorganic and organic As in groundwater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Microbiology and Water Pollution Applications)
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10 pages, 1446 KiB  
Article
Effect of Humic Acid on the Growth and Metabolism of Candida albicans Isolated from Surface Waters in North-Eastern Poland
by Adam Cudowski, Anna Pietryczuk and Andrzej Górniak
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9408; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159408 - 31 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1938
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of humic acid on the growth and metabolism of Candida albicans, a common waterborne pathogenic yeast. At 10–20 mg/L, humic acid caused the greatest increase in biomass and compactness of proteins and [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of humic acid on the growth and metabolism of Candida albicans, a common waterborne pathogenic yeast. At 10–20 mg/L, humic acid caused the greatest increase in biomass and compactness of proteins and monosaccharides, both in cells and in extracellular secretion of the yeast. At higher humic acid concentrations (40–80 mg/L), C. albicans cells still had higher protein levels compared to control, but showed reduced levels of metabolites and inhibited growth, and a significant increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, indicating a toxic effect of the humic acid. The increase in protein content in the cells of C. albicans combined with an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes may indicate that the studied yeast excels in conditions of high water enrichment with low availability of organic matter. This indicates that Candida albicans is capable of breaking down organic matter that other microorganisms cannot cope with, and for this reason, this yeast uses carbon sources that are not available to other microorganisms. This indicates that this fungus plays an important role in the organic carbon sphere to higher trophic levels, and is common in water polluted with organic matter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Microbiology and Water Pollution Applications)
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Review

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13 pages, 1303 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in the Ecology of Bloom-Forming Raphidiopsis (Cylindrospermopsis) raciborskii: Expansion in China, Intraspecific Heterogeneity and Critical Factors for Invasion
by Ling Zheng, Yang Liu, Renhui Li, Yiming Yang and Yongguang Jiang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1984; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031984 - 21 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2359
Abstract
Water blooms caused by the invasive cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii occur in many reservoirs in the tropical and subtropical regions of China. In recent decades, this species has spread rapidly to temperate regions. Phenotypic plasticity and climate warming are thought to promote the worldwide [...] Read more.
Water blooms caused by the invasive cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii occur in many reservoirs in the tropical and subtropical regions of China. In recent decades, this species has spread rapidly to temperate regions. Phenotypic plasticity and climate warming are thought to promote the worldwide dispersion of R. raciborskii. However, investigations into the genetic and phenotypic diversities of this species have revealed significant intraspecific heterogeneity. In particular, competition between R. raciborskii and Microcystis aeruginosa was highly strain dependent. Although the concept of an ecotype was proposed to explain the heterogeneity of R. raciborskii strains with different geographic origins, microevolution is more reasonable for understanding the coexistence of different phenotypes and genotypes in the same environment. It has been suggested that intraspecific heterogeneity derived from microevolution is a strong driving force for the expansion of R. raciborskii. Additionally, temperature, nutrient fluctuations, and grazer disturbance are critical environmental factors that affect the population establishment of R. raciborskii in new environments. The present review provides new insights into the ecological mechanisms underlying the invasion of R. raciborskii in Chinese freshwater ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Microbiology and Water Pollution Applications)
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