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Turning waste PHA into denitrification media: performance driver and stratified biofilm ecology
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Scientists turned waste plastic (a biodegradable type called PHB) into a tool that cleans nitrogen pollution from wastewater, removing over 94% of it in tests. This "waste treats waste" approach could help solve two problems at once: plastic waste and water pollution, potentially reducing environmental contamination that affects drinking water and ecosystems humans depend on.
The sustainable management of wastewater and nitrogen pollution remains a critical challenge. This project evaluated an innovative “waste-treats-waste” strategy using discarded commercial polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as both a solid carbon source (SCS) and a biofilm carrier for enhanced denitrification. A lab-scale particle enhanced bioreactor (PEBR) was operated for 240 days using synthetic and industrial nitrate-rich wastewater. The system demonstrated excellent and stable nitrogen removal, with total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies of 98.7%, 94.5%, and 95.6% across three phases under nitrogen loading rates (NLR) of 1.04, 1.34, and 1.02 kg N/(m 3 ·d), respectively. Compared to the selected conventional carrier (HPC), the biodegradable PHB promoted a uniquely stratified biofilm architecture: a loose outer layer and a dense inner layer exhibiting direct surface erosion. A protein-rich chemically graded matrix was detected on PHB via extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) analysis. Metagenomic analysis revealed that PHB fundamentally reshaped the microbial community, enriching key taxa (e.g., Diaphorobacter , Thauera ) and functional genes (e.g., phaZ ) associated with polymer degradation and denitrification, particularly in the inner layer. A spatial functional division of PHB biofilm was observed, where the inner layer is more responsible for PHB hydrolysis, while the outer layer is more responsible for denitrification. These findings demonstrate that upcycled biodegradable polymers can serve as functional carriers to simultaneously address biodegradable plastic waste and nitrogen pollution.
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Scientists turned old plastic water bottles into a home for helpful bacteria in wastewater treatment tanks, creating a system that cleaned water more effectively than other materials tested. This upcycled-plastic approach removed over 90% of microplastics along with excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which is important because these pollutants can otherwise flow into rivers and oceans, contributing to the microplastic contamination increasingly found in our food, water, and even our bodies. It's a promising example of turning plastic waste into a tool for cleaner water rather than more pollution.
Upcycled PET-Based Anoxic Biofilm Reactor (UPABR) for simultaneous removal of organic, nutrients, and microplastics from wastewater: Performance, kinetics, and mechanistic insights
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Scientists turned old plastic water bottles into a filter system that cleans wastewater — removing over 93% of organic pollutants, up to 84% of harmful nutrients, and trapping microplastic particles, all in one step. This matters because it tackles two problems at once: keeping tiny plastic bits (which can end up in our water, food, and eventually our bodies) out of the environment, while also giving discarded plastic bottles a useful second life instead of letting them become more pollution.
Mechanistic insights into superior biofilm formation with heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria under polypropylene microplastic stress
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Microplastics are known to mess with the helpful bacteria that treat wastewater and remove nitrogen pollution, but this study found that using a special type of bacteria to "seed" water treatment systems made them much more resistant to this disruption. This matters because as plastic pollution keeps growing, protecting the microbial communities that clean our water is essential for keeping waterways—and the water we eventually drink—free of excess nitrogen pollution.
Exploring Microorganisms from Plastic-Polluted Sites: Unveiling Plastic Degradation and PHA Production Potential
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Researchers screened microorganisms from plastic-polluted sites for their ability to break down conventional plastics and produce a biodegradable alternative called PHA. They identified several bacterial strains capable of degrading synthetic polymers and simultaneously producing this bio-based plastic from waste materials. The study highlights the potential for using naturally adapted microbes from contaminated environments as tools for both plastic cleanup and sustainable material production.
Microplastics shaped performance, microbial ecology and community assembly in simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal process
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This study found that polystyrene and PVC microplastics disrupted the performance of wastewater treatment systems designed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus, reducing nitrogen removal by up to 10%. The microplastics altered microbial communities, decreased cooperation between beneficial bacteria, and blocked important biological pathways. Since wastewater treatment is a key barrier against pollution reaching drinking water, microplastic interference with these systems could indirectly increase human exposure to harmful contaminants.
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