Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to public health, and landfill leachate serves as a major reservoir for pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) as well as antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we conducted multi-sample analyses of the fate and driving mechanisms of PPCPs and ARGs in common landfill leachate treatment processes (“MBR+NF/RO,” “pretreatment + two-stage DTRO,” “biological treatment + AOP,” “pretreatment + MVR,” and “pretreatment + UF + RO + UV disinfection”) to comprehensively evaluate their associated risks. Results indicate that among all processes, “pretreatment + two-stage DTRO” achieves highly efficient and stable removal of 93.06–100% of PPCPs while significantly reducing the association between bacterial communities and ARGs in influent. The highest concentrations of ARGs in leachate were observed for multidrug resistance, macrolides, aminoglycosides, glycopeptides, bacillopeptides, and chloramphenicol, with “pretreatment + MVR” demonstrating the most stable removal efficiency for these ARGs. Key potential host bacteria carrying ARGs in the influent were Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, and unclassified_Bacteria, while only Pseudomonadota dominated in the effluent. “pretreatment + two-stage DTRO,” “pretreatment + MVR,” and “pretreatment + UF + RO + UV disinfection” reduced plasmid-encoded ARGs, but the absolute concentration of chromosomally encoded ARGs increased in all effluents. Furthermore, biological factors (microbes and MGEs) were the primary drivers of ARG presence, indicating that reducing microbial biomass and MGEs effectively enhances ARG removal rates. Our findings highlight that MGEs not only transmit ARGs across treatment processes but also significantly elevate their expression levels, providing crucial data for effective antibiotic resistance surveillance within the One Health framework.

The lack of recycling technologies for biodegradable plastics (BDPs) has led to significant resource wastage and limits its sustainable expansion. The inherent biodegradability of BDPs enables their depolymerization into low-molecular-weight intermediates, particularly under thermophilic conditions, which are subsequently channeled into microbial metabolic pathways for targeted conversion. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a category of microbially synthesized BDPs characterized by high economic value and growing demand, offer a promising strategy for upcycling waste BDPs. This study focuses on Chelatococcus thermostellatus, a thermophilic PHA-accumulating microorganism that exhibits dual capabilities for simultaneous BDPs degradation and PHA biosynthesis under thermophilic conditions. This project employs thermophiles as chassis microorganisms for BDPs biorecycling. The thermophilic degradation mechanisms and bioassimilation pathways of various types of BDPs for PHA biosynthesis are systematically investigated, accompanied by characterization of the structural configurations and material properties of the synthesized PHA. Subsequently, a synthetic microbial consortium is constructed to regulate metabolic intermediates, with particular emphasis on elucidating the regulatory impacts of carbon source allocation in metabolic pathways on PHA synthesis efficiency. Process optimization is further implemented through the strategic modulation of operational parameters and environmental variables to enhance production performance. Additionally, the synergistic compatibility between mild chemical depolymerization and biological recycling is explored to establish an integrated system for improving PHA recovery efficiency. The findings are anticipated to provide theoretical foundations and technical frameworks to advance the high-value circular utilization of BDPs.

Rapid urbanization has transformed mega-cities into complex ecological systems, creating hotspots for vector-borne diseases. High population density, poor sanitation, and environmental degradation amplify the spread of pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, and other arthropod vectors. These challenges are particularly acute in rapidly growing urban centers of West Africa, where emerging infectious threats intersect with gaps in biosecurity and public health infrastructure.

This study explores the ecological and socio-environmental drivers of vector proliferation, integrating field entomological surveys, spatial mapping, and risk modeling. Results highlight urban hotspots shaped by stagnant water, unmanaged waste, and microclimatic variability, while human mobility and socio-economic disparities intensify exposure risk. Conventional vector control strategies, when applied in isolation, are insufficient to address these multi-layered challenges.

A unique aspect of this research is its biosecurity focus: it evaluates how urban planning, infrastructure gaps, and early detection systems influence vulnerability to emerging infectious diseases. Integrating entomological surveillance with community engagement and predictive modeling enables proactive intervention, enhancing outbreak preparedness. Early detection of invasive vectors and real-time risk assessment provide actionable insights for municipal authorities and policymakers, supporting data-driven strategies that save lives and resources.

By bridging entomology, urban ecology, and public health policy, this study offers a replicable framework for resilient cities. While grounded in West African contexts, the findings are globally relevant, offering lessons for rapidly urbanizing mega-cities worldwide—including those in Asia—facing similar public health and environmental challenges.

In conclusion, safeguarding urban populations from vector-borne disease requires interdisciplinary collaboration, proactive biosecurity, and environmentally informed planning. This research demonstrates that sustainable urban health is inseparable from ecological stewardship and anticipatory public health strategies. By providing a model that combines local insights with global applicability, this study contributes to evidence-based policy, resilient urban planning, and improved health outcomes for urban populations.

Efficient control of carbon dioxide dosing is crucial for optimizing coagulation performance and maintaining the target pH in water treatment processes. This study presents the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) model to determine the optimal target pH for CO₂ injection at the ‘G’ Water Treatment Plant. The model aims to automate the current manual decision-making process, reducing chemical costs and improving operational stability.

Key operational criteria for CO₂ injection were analyzed, including raw water pH thresholds, seasonal variations, and the relationship between pH and coagulation efficiency. Historical plant data—such as turbidity, alkalinity, conductivity, temperature, and pH measurements from multiple process units—were collected and preprocessed. Input variables included parameters from intake, coagulation, and sedimentation stages, with the target pH as the dependent variable.

The AI model will identify the most influential factors affecting target pH and establish optimal dosing strategies under varying operational conditions. This research is expected to enhance automated pH control, reduce chemical usage, and support sustainable and cost-efficient water treatment operations.

This work demonstrates the potential of AI in optimizing chemical dosing strategies in water treatment, supporting both operational efficiency and regulatory compliance, while contributing to carbon neutrality goals by minimizing unnecessary CO₂ usage and promoting more sustainable treatment practices.

<This research was supported by the Carbon Neutrality, a specialized program of the Graduate School through the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) funded by Ministry of Environment (MOE, Korea).>

Forward osmosis (FO) has been adopted to treat complex wastewater such as mature landfill leachate due to its high rejection of organics^[1]. In this study, impacts of ozonation pretreatment enhanced FO membrane system treating mature landfill leachate wastewater were assessed to elucidate its concentration performance, membrane fouling, and transformation characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). For the FO process, it was observed that when ozone pretreatment was applied under a controlled recovery rate, the processing time was significantly reduced and a final membrane flux was greater than that of the without ozonation. Ozonation pretreatment of landfill leachate, conducted at varying durations, revealed that the processing time for FO treatment of old landfill leachate progressively decreased with extended ozone exposure. Interestingly, for medium landfill leachate, prolonged ozone exposure led to an increase in FO processing time. The reversibility of fouling resistance, contact angle, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscop (AFM) analysis proved that optimal ozone exposure times for medium and old landfill leachate were determined to be 10 h and 40 h, respectively, and optimal ozone pretreatment mitigated membrane fouling, manifested by reduced hydrophobicity, decreased surface fouling, and lowered surface roughness. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) analysis suggests the presence of contaminants such as polysaccharides and proteins on membranes. The exacerbation of membrane fouling observed with the excessive introduction of ozone during the treatment of medium landfill leachate may be attributed to an increase in soluble extracellular polymeric substances and low molecular weight substances^[2]. Besides, the changes in the leachate composition along the treatments were tracked by excitation-emission matrix-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) to identify fulvic-like (C1), protein-like (C2), and soluble microbial by-product-like (C3) components^[3]. The Fmax of C1 and C2 exhibit a decreasing trend for medium landfill leachate, and the Fmax of C1 on the membrane was found to be significantly lower than that of C2. For old landfill leachate, the C3 shows resistance to degradation with the increase in ozone, while the variations in C1 and C2 on the membrane are similar between medium and old landfill leachate. Meanwhile, the concentrations of humic substances and amino acids were further quantified, revealing that the concentration of fulvic acid significantly exceeded that of humic acid and the amino acids were primarily composed of components L-Histidine, L-AsparticAcid, and L-(+)-Lysine. In the catalytic process of landfill leachate by ozone, the main free radicals involved were ^•OH and ^• , which play a role in the degradation of organic compounds.

The dissemination of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment has become a global threat to ecological security and human health. In contrast to previous studies focusing mainly on abiotic factors such as coexisting pollutants affecting plasmid conjugation, this study reveals for the first time that typical microbial metabolites of carbon (CO₂), nitrogen (NO), and sulfur (H₂S) are important yet overlooked biological drivers facilitating the spread of ARGs. These metabolites modulate the efficiency of plasmid conjugation by inducing various microbial stress responses, including oxidative, nitrosative, and reductive stress, which alter the cell surface properties of donor and recipient bacteria, intracellular key ion levels, and amino acid metabolism. Taking H₂S as an example, even at environmentally relevant concentrations, it significantly enhances the conjugation frequency of plasmid RP4 within sewage microbial communities and expands its transmission range. Mechanistic investigations demonstrate that H₂S exposure activates the plasmid RP4-encoded protein Upf32.8, thereby relieving the suppression of genes encoded by plasmid RP4 and intensifying its hijacking of glutamine metabolism in donor bacteria. Notably, evolutionary analysis shows that GlsS32.8 is conserved across globally prevalent IncP-1α plasmids, underscoring a universal risk of ARG spread in H₂S-rich environments. These findings provide novel theoretical perspectives and a scientific basis for understanding and controlling the environmental spread of antibiotic resistance genes.