In this study, complicated model sulfur compounds in crude oil were biodesulfurized in a batch process by microbial consortium enriched from oil contaminated soil. Dibenzothiophene (DBT) was selected as model sulfur compounds. Ultrasonic radiation was used to pre-oxidize the model sulfur compounds before the biodesulfurization (BDS) process. The enhancement mechanism of ultrasound pre-oxidation (UPO) on the biodesulfurization of DBT was investigated. The effects of initial conditions on the biodesulfurization of DBT in UPO/BDS system such as solution initial pH, DBT initial concentration, sulfur source, biocatalyst initial concentration, and incubation temperature were discussed. The results show that the application of UPO before BDS procedure significantly improved the efficiency of the biodesulfurization and allowed sulfur removal in shorter time through oxidizing DBT to DBT sulfone, resulting in shortening the "4S" pathway for biodesulfurization from 4 steps to 2 steps, enhancement in reaction velocity and enzyme-substrate affinity as well as reduction in substrate inhibition. The concentration of 2-HBP increased fast with the use of ultrasound pre-oxidation, which was dependent on solution initial pH, DBT initial concentration, sulfur source, biocatalyst initial concentration, and incubation temperature.

Sugarcane bagasse as a biomass solid waste has good prospects as a carbon source for biological wastewater treatment. However, it has rarely been investigated for aerobic denitrification (AD). Herein, we investigated its carbon release performance and constructed a bagasse-loaded sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) to investigate the feasibility of sugarcane bagasse as a carbon source and filler for AD bacteria to treat wastewater with low carbon–nitrogen ratios (C/N). Results showed that chemical oxygen demand (COD) leaching from sugarcane bagasse was 418.07 ± 17.05 mg/g; high-temperature and high-pressure operation had no significant effect on the carbon release performance of the bagasse. A shake-flask experiment revealed that adding sugarcane bagasse significantly enhanced the AD flora denitrification effect in low C/N wastewater; the removal process of NO₃⁻–N by AD flora followed first-order kinetics. In the SBBR inoculated with AD flora, biofilm formation on the bagasse surface was evident; the NO₃⁻–N removal rate reached 20.20 ± 4.27% after 28 operation cycles, which was significantly higher than that of the control sequencing batch reactor during the same period, and the effluent COD stabilized below 50 mg/L. The results provide a reference for AD application in the practical wastewater treatment and biomass resource utilization of sugarcane bagasse.

By integrating an SCas12a-mediated cascade strand displacement reaction with a phosphorothioate-modified G-quadruplex reporter, a portable “turn-on” colorimetric/photothermal system was engineered for sensitive detection of Hg ²⁺ .

A novel UV/NIR light-driven β-NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Tm³⁺/ZnO core-shell composites were prepared via microwave assisted hydrothermal technology. The results of characterize indicated that the β-NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Tm³⁺/ZnO was obtained by loading ZnO on the surface of β-NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Tm³⁺, which could efficiently absorb the UV emission light via upconversion process of β-NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Tm³⁺. The degradation of MB using β-NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Tm³⁺/ZnO particles as photocatalyst under irradiation of simulated sunlight without UV light showed photocatalytic activity of β-NaYF₄:Yb³⁺, Tm³⁺/ZnO could be driven under irradiation of NIR light.

Due to the contamination of wastewater from urban and industrial areas with microplastics (MPs), Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) act as potential sources and contributors of MPs. The WWTP located in Leshan, Western China, was selected as the subject of the investigation. The abundance, characteristics, and removal of MPs at different wastewater treatment units were investigated. The results showed that the abundance of MPs in the influent was 267.74 n/L, while that in the effluent was 68.34 n/L. The total removal efficiency of MPs was 74.48%. MPs within the 0.05-0.3 mm size range had the highest average distribution (around 40%) in different treatment units. Fibers were the dominant morphology among the MPs found in the wastewater samples, accounting for 69.99% to 79.18%, followed by microbeads (8.27%–17.96%) and films (4.03%–6.44%). White and transparent MPs were the dominant colors found throughout the treatment process. The major types of MPs polymers identified included PET, PVC, PA, PS, PP, and PE. PET was the most dominant polymer type among the total MPs.