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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 71307

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jacek Antonkiewicz

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 21 Mickiewicza Av., 31-120 Krakow, Poland
Interests: reclamation and remediation of grounds; recycle of organic and mineral wastes; waste management

Prof. Dr. Beata Rutkowska

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Guest Editor

Agricultural Chemistry Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, 166 Nowoursynowska Str., 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: chemical composition of soil solution under different soil and fertilizer conditions; utilization of municipal and industrial waste in environment; influence of mineral and organic fertilization on physico-chemical properties of soil; yield and chemical composition of plant

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of plants and microorganisms for the reclamation of chemically degraded land;
The remediation of air, grounds, water, sewage, and the revitalization of brownfield redevelopment;
The impact of ions of heavy metals and other pollutants anthropogenic on chemical composition of plants and other materials;
The use of municipal and industrial waste in different processes, for example, biological reclamation and the remediation of brownfield sites and landfills;
Waste, recycling of organic waste and minerals;
The use of microorganisms in the processes of purifying environmental components;
The study of enzymatic activity in the environment;
Toxicological tests on environmental protection and purification.

Prof. Dr. Jacek Antonkiewicz
Prof. Dr. Beata Rutkowska
Guest Editors

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Keywords

remediation
reclamation
microorganisms
recycling
protection
air
grounds
water
sewage
wastes

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Community Structure of Bacteria and Archaea Associated with Geotextile Filters in Anaerobic Bioreactor Landfills

by Cevat Yaman, Suriya Rehman, Tanveer Ahmad, Yusuf Kucukaga, Burcu Pala, Noor AlRushaid, Syed Riyaz Ul Hassan and Ayse Burcu Yaman

Processes 2021, 9(8), 1377; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9081377 - 6 Aug 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2579

Abstract

Landfills are an example of an environment that contains highly complex communities of microorganisms. To evaluate the microbial community structure, four stainless steel pilot-scale bioreactor landfills with single- and double-layered geotextile fabric were used. Two reactors (R-1 and R-2) contained municipal solid waste (MSW) and sewage sludge, while the other two reactors (R-3 and R-4) contained only MSW. A single layer of geotextile fabric (R2GT3 and R3GT3) was inserted in the drainage layers of the two reactors (R-2 and R-3), while a double layer of geotextile fabric (R4GT2 and R4GT1) was inserted in one of the reactors (R-4). Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that biomass developed on the geotextile fabrics after 540 days of bioreactor operation. The metagenomics analyses of the geotextile samples by 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that the geotextile bacterial communities were dominated by the phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Thermotogeae, while Proteobacteria were detected as the rarest bacterial phylum in all the geotextile samples. Treponema, Caldicoprobacter, and Clostridium were the most dominant anaerobic and fermentative bacterial genera associated with the geotextile fabric in the bioreactors. Euryarchaeota was the predominant archaean phylum detected in all the geotextile samples. In the archaeal communities, Methanosarcina, and Vadin CA11 were identified as the predominant genera. The diversity of microorganisms in landfill bioreactors is addressed to reveal opportunities for landfill process modifications and associated operational optimization. Thus, this study provides insights into the population dynamics of microorganisms in geotextile fabrics used in bioreactor landfills. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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16 pages, 4639 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toluene Bioremediation by Using Geotextile-Layered Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs)

by Cevat Yaman, Ismail Anil, Omar Alagha, Nawaf I. Blaisi, Ayse Burcu Yaman, Aleem Qureshi, Emre Cevik, Suriya Rehman, Seyda Tugba Gunday and Mohammad Barghouthi

Processes 2021, 9(6), 906; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9060906 - 21 May 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3049

Abstract

Sources of contamination in a subsurface environment are petrol, diesel fuel, gasoline at oil refineries, underground storage tanks, transmission pipelines, and different industries. The permeable reactive barrier (PRB) is a promising technology to remediate groundwater in-situ. In this study, synthetic groundwater samples containing toluene are treated in three reactor columns by biological processes. PRB-1 consisted of sand and gravel as reactor media, microbial inoculum (bioaugmentation—BA), and nutrients (biostimulation—BS); PRB-2 consisted of sand and gravel as reactor media, microbial inoculum, nutrients, and 12 layers of nonwoven geotextile fabrics; and PRB-3 consisted of only sand and gravel as reactor media (natural attenuation—NA). This study was conducted to assess the impact of geotextile fabric filter, bioaugmentation, and biostimulation on toluene degradation efficiency. After 167 days of treatment, toluene biodegradation efficiencies varied between 88.2% and 93.8% for PRB 1, between 98.0% and 99.3% for PRB 2, and between 14.2% and 68.6% for PRB 3. The effluent toluene concentrations for PRB-2 were less than the guideline value (0.7 mg/L) of the World Health Organization. Reaction rate data were fitted with a first-order kinetic reaction rate model. This study showed that the toluene removal efficiency in the geotextile layered PRB combined with BA and BS process was significantly higher compared to the other processes tested. This lab-scale study introduced a new PRB configuration suitable for the remediation of sites contaminated with toluene. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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13 pages, 1785 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A New Low-Cost and Reliable Method to Evaluate the Release of Hg⁰ from Synthetic Materials

by Marta Lazzaroni, Barbara Nisi, Daniele Rappuoli, Jacopo Cabassi and Orlando Vaselli

Processes 2020, 8(10), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8101282 - 13 Oct 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2294

Abstract

Mercury is a toxic and noxious element and is the only metal that naturally occurs as gas. One of the most challenging topics (included in the United Nations Minimata convention) is to understand the adsorption–release processes of manmade materials (e.g., concrete, bricks, tiles, painting). Adsorption of Hg by construction and demolition waste materials has recently been studied, but investigations on how much Hg⁰ can be released from these products are rather poor. The abandoned mining site of Abbadia San Salvatore (Siena, central Italy) where, for about one century, cinnabar was roasted to produce liquid mercury, is known for the high concentrations of (i) Hg⁰ in edifices and structures and (ii) total and leachate Hg in synthetic materials. In the present paper, a new, simple and low-cost method to measure the amount of GEM (Gaseous Elemental Mercury) released from anthropic materials (concrete, wall rocks, and tiles) located in the Hg⁰-rich environments of the former mining site, is proposed. The efficiency of a specific paint that was supposed to act as blocking agent to Hg⁰ was also tested. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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13 pages, 483 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Effect of Amending Soil with Waste Elemental Sulfur on the Availability of Selected Macroelements and Heavy Metals

by Monika Tabak, Aneta Lisowska, Barbara Filipek-Mazur and Jacek Antonkiewicz

Processes 2020, 8(10), 1245; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8101245 - 2 Oct 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3292

Abstract

Elemental sulfur of waste origin may be a valuable sulfur source for plants. However, assessing the suitability of environmental use of a waste material should confirm there is no harmful effect of the material on soil environment. The purpose of the incubation experiment was to assess the availability of selected elements (P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd) in soils supplemented with waste elemental sulfur. The research was conducted on two soils: light and heavy, and with three sulfur doses applied to each soil. Available forms of elements in the soils were extracted 60 days after the waste introduction, with three reagents: 0.01 mol L⁻¹ CaCl₂, Mehlich 3 and 1 mol L⁻¹ HCl. Additionally, to determine the impact of the introduced sulfur on soil acidification, soil pH was periodically checked during the experiment. The sulfur addition intensified acidification of the light soil, and, to a lesser extent, of the heavy soil. The acidifying effect was stronger when the sulfur dose was higher. The content of available forms of elements in the soils depended mainly on the strength of the used extractants (generally, the highest amounts were extracted with 1 mol L⁻¹ HCl and the lowest with 0.01 mol L⁻¹ CaCl₂). The effect of sulfur introduction on element availability was small. No harmful effect on element availability in soils was stated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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16 pages, 2539 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytotoxicity and Effect of Ionic Liquids on Antioxidant Parameters in Spring Barley Seedlings: The Impact of Exposure Time

by Robert Biczak, Barbara Pawłowska, Wiesław Pilis, Jan Szczegielniak, Jacek Wróbel and Arkadiusz Telesiński

Processes 2020, 8(9), 1175; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8091175 - 17 Sep 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2754

Abstract

The influence of the ionic liquids (ILs) tetrabutylammonium bromide [TBA][Br], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole bromide [BMIM][Br], and tetrabutylphosphonium bromide [TBP][Br] added at different concentrations to the soil were studied for the growth and development of spring barley seedlings. Samples were harvested at three different time points: day 7, 14, and 21 after addition of ILs. The results show that [TBP][Br] was the most toxic. The introduction of this IL at the dose of 100 mg kg⁻¹ of soil DM decreased the growth of seedlings at all test dates. The addition of the studied ILs to the soil in higher doses resulted in an increase in peroxidase and catalase activity, which may indicate the occurrence of oxidative stress in plants. An increase in the content of plant dry matter weight, contents of H₂O₂ and proline and a decrease in the content of photosynthetic pigments in barley seedlings were also observed. The malondialdehyde content and superoxide dismutase activity fluctuated randomly during the experiment. As a result, it was found that the phytotoxicity of ILs and the magnitude of oxidative stress in seedlings depended more on the added doses of these compounds than on the measurement date. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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14 pages, 10182 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accumulation of Airborne Toxic Elements and Photosynthetic Performance of Lolium multiflorum L. Leaves

by Klaudia Borowiak, Anna Budka, Marta Lisiak-Zielińska, Anetta Hanć, Janina Zbierska, Danuta Barałkiewicz, Dariusz Kayzer, Renata Gaj, Anna Szymczak-Graczyk and Jolanta Kanclerz

Processes 2020, 8(9), 1013; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8091013 - 19 Aug 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2618

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate the accumulation of airborne trace elements in Lolium multiflorum leaves concerning photosynthetic activity parameters. Five sites for four 28-day series of plant exposition were selected. The concentration of trace elements in leaves was measured after each series, while photosynthetic activity parameters were measured three times during each series. Net photosynthesis rate (P_N) and stomatal conductance (g_s) were mostly negatively associated with all analyzed trace elements, unlike to CO₂ concentrations (C_i). Arsenic was found with opposite trend in two exposure series. The high accumulation of Cd and Pb in plants recorded at two sites was mostly related to lowest P_N and g_s. Similar tendency for P_N was found at sites and series with the highest Cr and Ni content in plants. L. multiflorum revealed a medium-level accumulation of trace elements and a low tolerance of the photosynthetic process to the presence of trace elements in ambient air. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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14 pages, 1515 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Chemical and Biochemical Parameters of Petrol-Contaminated Soil after Biostimulation with an Enzyme Reagent

by Kornel Curyło, Arkadiusz Telesiński, Grzegorz Jarnuszewski, Teresa Krzyśko-Łupicka and Krystyna Cybulska

Processes 2020, 8(8), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8080949 - 6 Aug 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2337

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effect of petrol and the Fyre Zyme reagent on selected chemical and biochemical properties of loamy sand. The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions. First, petrol was introduced into the soil at doses of 0 and 50 g k⁻¹dry matter (DM). Next, 6% Fyre-Zyme enzyme reagent solution was added to the samples contaminated and uncontaminated with petrol, in the following combinations: 0 (control), once at 40 cm³ kg⁻¹ DM, twice at 20 cm³ kg⁻¹ DM at two-week intervals, and four times at 10 cm³ kg⁻¹ DM at weekly intervals. Contamination of loamy sand with petrol caused slight changes in the determined chemical parameters and stimulated dehydrogenase activities, but inhibited the activity of phosphatases. The introduction of the enzyme reagent into the soil increased the C_org and N_tot content. The greatest changes were observed in the activity of phosphatases. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed that the application of the enzyme reagent at the application of 4 × 10 cm³ kg⁻¹ DM was the most beneficial. However, the results of the η² analysis indicate that the greatest influence on the determined experimental parameters was found in the soil contaminated with petrol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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17 pages, 1293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioavailability of Sulfur from Waste Obtained during Biogas Desulfurization and the Effect of Sulfur on Soil Acidity and Biological Activity

by Monika Tabak, Aneta Lisowska and Barbara Filipek-Mazur

Processes 2020, 8(7), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8070863 - 17 Jul 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4727

Abstract

Sulfur deficiency has been recognized as a limiting factor for crop production in many regions of the world. A 120-day incubation experiment was conducted to assess the effect of the applied waste elemental sulfur on sulfur bioavailability in soil. Four doses of sulfur were applied: 10, 20, 30 and 60 mg S kg⁻¹ dry matter (d.m.) of soil. In order to assess the effect of soil pH adjustment on sulfur oxidation, the research was conducted on two sets of soil samples: one set of soil samples had natural pH, and the second one was limed before sulfur application. Application of waste sulfur slightly affected the soil pH, and increased the content of available sulfur in soil proportionally to sulfur dose. A beneficial effect of waste sulfur application on soil dehydrogenase and catalase activity was found. Liming reduced soil acidity, and significantly increased sulfate content and soil enzymatic activity. Waste elemental sulfur may be an alternative source of sulfur, supplementing the deficiencies of this element in soils. The described way of sulfur waste reuse corresponds with the increasingly common approach to create waste-free technologies in all economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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19 pages, 5067 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Single- and Multi-Objective Optimization of a Dual-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell Operating in Continuous-Flow Mode at Steady State

by Ibrahim M. Abu-Reesh

Processes 2020, 8(7), 839; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8070839 - 15 Jul 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5850

Abstract

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a promising technology for bioenergy generation and wastewater treatment. Various parameters affect the performance of dual-chamber MFCs, such as substrate flow rate and concentration. Performance can be assessed by power density (

PD

), current density ( [...] Read more.

PD

), current density (

CD

) production, or substrate removal efficiency (

SRE

). In this study, a mathematical model-based optimization was used to optimize the performance of an MFC using single- and multi-objective optimization (MOO) methods. Matlab’s fmincon and fminimax functions were used to solve the nonlinear constrained equations for the single- and multi-objective optimization, respectively. The fminimax method minimizes the worst-case of the two conflicting objective functions. The single-objective optimization revealed that the maximum

PD

CD,

and

SRE

were 2.04 W/m², 11.08 A/m², and 73.6%, respectively. The substrate concentration and flow rate significantly impacted the performance of the MFC. Pareto-optimal solutions were generated using the weighted sum method for maximizing the two conflicting objectives of

PD

and

CD

in addition to

PD

and

SRE

simultaneously. The fminimax method for maximizing

PD

and

CD

showed that the compromise solution was to operate the MFC at maximum

PD

conditions. The model-based optimization proved to be a fast and low-cost optimization method for MFCs and it provided a better understanding of the factors affecting an MFC’s performance. The MOO provided Pareto-optimal solutions with multiple choices for practical applications depending on the purpose of using the MFCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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19 pages, 2323 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Possibilities of Using Organic Waste after Biological and Physical Processing—An Overview

by Wiesław Szulc, Beata Rutkowska, Stanisław Gawroński and Elżbieta Wszelaczyńska

Processes 2021, 9(9), 1501; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9091501 - 25 Aug 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4338

Abstract

With a rapidly increasing amount of waste, waste management is an extremely important issue. Utilising processes such as combustion and biological processing significantly decreases the accumulation and volume of waste. Despite this, huge volumes of resulting waste that still need to be managed remain. This paper identifies various methods of processing organic waste, discussing both thermal and biological techniques for waste management. Additionally, this paper demonstrates that the end products remaining after processing waste are oftentimes functional for agricultural use. These materials are excellent byproducts used to produce various organic, mineral and organomineral fertilisers. For instance, it appears that the production of fertilisers is the most promising method of utilising fly ash that results from the combustion of waste. In order to minimise the environmental risk of polluting soil with heavy metals, waste, as well as ashes resulting from combustion, must meet the criteria for the limit of contaminants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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17 pages, 1730 KiB

Open AccessReview

Use of Black Soldier Fly Larvae for Food Waste Treatment and Energy Production in Asian Countries: A Review

by Chul-Hwan Kim, JunHee Ryu, Jongkeun Lee, Kwanyoung Ko, Ji-yeon Lee, Ki Young Park and Haegeun Chung

Processes 2021, 9(1), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9010161 - 15 Jan 2021

Cited by 107 | Viewed by 35772

Abstract

Food waste accounts for a substantial portion of the organic waste generated at an increasing rate worldwide. Organic waste, including food waste, is largely subjected to landfill disposal, incineration, and anaerobic digestion; however, more sustainable methods are needed for treating it. Treatment of organic waste using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae is an environmentally safe and cost-efficient method that has been attracting increasing attention worldwide. Black soldier fly decomposes various types of organic waste and converts them into high-value biomasses such as oils and proteins. This review introduces the trends in research related to the treatment of organic waste by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) and their bioconversion efficiencies in Asian countries. Perspectives on the growth of BSFL during waste treatment operation and optimal rearing conditions are provided. The trends in studies related to the application of BSFL as biofuel and animal feed are also discussed. Such use of BSFL would be beneficial in Asia, especially in countries where the technology for processing organic waste is not readily available. This review may provide further directions of investigations including culture techniques for industrial scale applications of BSFL in food waste treatment and resource production in Asian countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioprocess Processes in Environmental Protection and Purification)

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