All Wastewater & Sanitation articles
-
Features
Under the microscope: microalgae-based bioremediation
The rapid expansion of the global human population and the increase in industrial and agricultural activities have led to severe environmental contamination. To remedy the situation, green technology has become more prevalent in recent years due to its numerous environmental benefits.
-
News
Bacteria key to solar-powered method to convert sewage sludge into green hydrogen and animal feed
Scientists have developed an innovative solar-powered method to transform sewage sludge — a by-product of wastewater treatment — into green hydrogen for clean energy and single-cell protein for animal feed.
-
Careers
My PhD Experience: Collaborations between academia and industry in the microbial bioremediation of marine oil pollution
Jake A Smallbone reveals how a industry collaboration as part of his PhD led to work on a real world oil spill to uncover the fascinating ways that bacterial communities respond to pollution and can be deployed as biomarkers and in bioremediation.
-
News
Researchers develop enhanced method for wastewater surveillance of antibiotic resistance
To better monitor the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, researchers have developed a CRISPR-enriched metagenomics method for the enhanced surveillance of antibiotic resistance genes, ARGs, in wastewater.
-
News
Microbiologist calls for urgent action on the danger of raw sewage in UK seas
A microbiologist has described how he contracted a type of bacterial pneumonia following a swim in the sea that was likely connected to an incident of sewage dumping in the area.
-
News
New study calls for ethical framework to protect Indigenous genetic privacy in wastewater monitoring
Researchers have called for new ethical frameworks to protect Indigenous communities’ genetic privacy in the growing field of wastewater surveillance. The study examines how analysis of community wastewater raises significant privacy concerns for Indigenous populations.
-
News
Ventilation fans can significantly lower the risk of inhaling bacteria particles after toilet flushing
New research finds that unhealthy concentrations of bacteria are released into the air by toilet flushing - but active ventilation with an exhaust fan reduce the risk by 10 times.
-
News
Smart bioprospecting needed to expand the search for climate-friendly microalgae
New research has highlighted microalgae’s capacity as a solution in the fight against climate change, but researchers warn that “smart microalgal bioprospecting” is needed to unlock its full potential.
-
News
Scientists isolate ultra small bacterium that parasitizes archaea
Researchers have succeeded in cultivating an ultrasmall bacterial strain parasitizing archaea and classified the strain PMX.108T as new species and genus of Minisyncoccus archaeiphilus.
-
News
Urgent action needed to keep Europe polio-free, warn heads of ECDC and WHO Europe
An unusually high amount of poliovirus detections in several European countries in recent months has underscored the importance of keeping Europe polio-free.
-
News
Report: Detections of poliovirus in sewage samples require enhanced routine and catch-up vaccination and increased surveillance
Four countries in the EU/EEA and the United Kingdom have reported detections of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in sewage samples, the first time cVDPV2 has been detected in EU/EEA countries from environmental surveillance.
-
News
Biorefinery innovation: Transforming waste into high-value products
A new study showcases a cutting-edge biorefinery capable of converting sewage sludge and food waste into valuable volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The research evaluates the environmental impact of this biorefinery, located in Galicia, Spain.
-
News
Revolutionary biofilter offers breakthrough solution for emerging contaminants in wastewater
Researchers have unveiled groundbreaking findings on an electroactive biofilter (BioeF) that leverages microbial electrochemical processes and offers a significant advancement in wastewater treatment by targeting emerging contaminants.
-
News
Researchers develop novel reverse osmosis membrane to reduce biofouling
Researchers have developed a dual-functional reverse osmosis (RO) membrane which demonstrates broad-spectrum, sustained antibacterial activity and resistance to various foulants, making it suitable for water purification, seawater desalination, and high-salinity wastewater treatment.
-
News
Manure management in China cuts river antibiotic pollution but raises groundwater contamination risks
A study of antibiotic pollution patterns in China’s water systems over the past decade found a 59% decrease in antibiotic pollution in rivers, primarily due to reduced direct manure discharge, but antibiotic leaching into groundwater has increased by 15%.
-
News
New method detects fecal contamination of water using viral DNA
Researchers have developed a novel MST detection method using CrAss-like phages that is capable of specifically detecting human feces-contaminated water.
-
News
Bio-electrochemical cell producing hydrogen from microorganisms in waste: Pathway to large-scale implementation unveiled
Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in clean energy technology, successfully enhancing a crucial component of a bio-electrochemical cell and enabling more efficient hydrogen production from microorganisms found in waste.
-
News
Hidden threats to soil revealed in sewage sludge research
Hidden threats from the agricultural use of contaminated sewage sludge could be contributing to already diminished poor soil health, according to a new report.
-
News
Cold plasma isn’t just for sterilisation - it could become a vital green tool in water purification
Cold plasma isn’t just for sterilisation, but offers potential as a sustainable water treatment that can target stubborn contaminants like biofilms and pharmaceuticals, according to a new review.
-
News
Researchers catalog the microbiome of US rivers
River microbes found near wastewater treatment plants expressed high levels of antibiotic resistance genes, reveals a study of the presence and function of microbes in rivers covering 90% of the watersheds in the continental U.S.