TY - JOUR
A1 - Sichler, Theresa Constanze
A1 - Adam, Christian
A1 - Barjenbruch, M.
A1 - Montag, D.
A1 - Mauch, Tatjana
A1 - Sommerfeld, Thomas
A1 - Ehm, J.H.
T1 - Variation of the element composition of municipal sewage sludges in the context of new regulations on phosphorus recovery in Germany
N2 - Phosphorus (P) recovery is obligatory for all sewage sludges with more than 20 g P/kg dry matter (DM) from 2029 in Germany. Nine wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were chosen to investigate variations of phosphorus contents and other parameters in sewage sludge over the year. Monthly sewage sludge samples from each WWTP were analyzed for phosphorus and other matrix elements (C, N, H, Ca, Fe, Al, etc.), for several trace elements (As, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn) and loss of ignition. Among the nine WWTPs, there are four which have phosphorus contents both above and below the recovery limit of 20 g/kg DM along the year. Considering the average phosphorus content over the year, only one of them is below the limit. Compared to other matrix elements and parameters, phosphorus fuctuations are low with an average of 7% over all nine WWTPs. In total, only hydrogen and carbon are more constant in the sludge.
In several WWTPs with chemical phosphorus elimination, phosphorus fuctuations showed similar courses like iron and/or aluminum. WWTPs with chamber flter presses rather showed dilution efects of calcium dosage. As result of this study, monthly phosphorus measurement is highly recommended to determine whether a WWTP is below the
20 g/kg DM limit.
KW - Sewage sludge
KW - Phosphorus recovery
KW - Wastewater
KW - Phosphorus elimination
PY - 2022
UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-557499
DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-022-00658-4
SN - 2190-4707
VL - 34
IS - 1
SP - 1
EP - 12
PB - Springer Nature
CY - Berlin
AN - OPUS4-55749
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Sichler, Theresa Constanze
A1 - Adam, Christian
A1 - Becker, Roland
A1 - Sauer, Andreas
A1 - Ostermann, Markus
A1 - Barjenbruch, M.
T1 - Phosphorus determination in sewage sludge: comparison of different aqua regia digestion methods and ICP-OES, ICP-MS and photometric determination
N2 - Phosphorus recycling from sewage sludge will be obligatory in Germany from 2029. Phosphorus content determination in sewage sludge is crucial to assess the prescribed recycling rates. Currently, German law regards sample preparation using aqua regia digestion in a microwave or under reflux conditions as well as instrumental phosphorus determination by ICP-OES, ICP-MS, or photometric determination with ammonium molybdate as equivalent. However, it is questionable whether these methods are indeed equivalent regarding phosphorus quantification in sludges near the limit of 20 g/kg for mandatory recycling. To answer this question, 15 sewage sludges of 11 different wastewater treatment plants were investigated with all permitted method (digestion and measurement) combinations. Moreover, one sewage sludge was also examined in an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) with 28 participants. This study shows that the above-mentioned methods differ in some cases significantly but across all method combinations and sludges, phosphorus recovery was between 80 and 121% after normalization to the grand mean (average of 15 sludges between 85 and 111%). The ILC and the examination of 15 sludges produced largely similar results. There is a tendency to higher phosphorus recovery after microwave digestion compared to reflux digestion and ICP-OES measurements determine higher phosphorus contents than ICP-MS and photometric phosphorus determination. As a result, the authors recommend ICP-OES determination of phosphorus in sewage sludge after microwave digestion.
KW - Sewage sludge
KW - ICP-OES
KW - Phosphous recovery
KW - ICP-MS
KW - Photometric P determination
KW - Interlaboratory comparison
PY - 2022
UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-558869
DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-022-00677-1
VL - 34
IS - 99
SP - 1
EP - 14
PB - Springer
AN - OPUS4-55886
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Dombinov, V.
A1 - Herzel, Hannes
A1 - Meiller, M.
A1 - Müller, F.
A1 - Willbold, S.
A1 - Zang, J. W.
A1 - da Fonseca-Zang, W. A.
A1 - Adam, Christian
A1 - Klose, H.
A1 - Poorter, H.
A1 - Jablonowski, N. D.
A1 - Schrey, S. D.
T1 - Sugarcane bagasse ash as fertilizer for soybeans: Effects of added residues on ash composition, mineralogy, phosphorus extractability and plant availability
N2 - Sugarcane bagasse is commonly combusted to generate energy. Unfortunately, recycling strategies rarely consider the resulting ash as a potential fertilizer. To evaluate this recycling strategy for a sustainable circular economy, we characterized bagasse ash as a fertilizer and measured the effects of co-gasification and co-combustion of bagasse with either chicken manure or sewage sludge: on the phosphorus (P) mass fraction, P-extractability, and mineral P phases. Furthermore, we investigated the ashes as fertilizer for soybeans under greenhouse conditions. All methods in combination are reliable indicators helping to assess and predict P availability from ashes to soybeans. The fertilizer efficiency of pure bagasse ash increased with the ash amount supplied to the substrate. Nevertheless, it was not as effective as fertilization with triple-superphosphate and K2SO4, which we attributed to lower P availability. Co-gasification and co-combustion increased the P mass fraction in all bagasse-based ashes, but its extractability and availability to soybeans increased only when co-processed with chicken manure, because it enabled the formation of readily available Ca-alkali phosphates. Therefore, we recommend co-combusting biomass with alkali-rich residues to increase the availability of P from the ash to plants.
KW - Combustion and gasification
KW - Phosphate extractability and availability
KW - X-ray diffraction (XRD)
PY - 2022
UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-567632
DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.1041924
SN - 1664-462X
VL - 13
SP - 1
EP - 13
PB - Frontiers Media
CY - Lausanne
AN - OPUS4-56763
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Machado Ferreira de Araujo, F.
A1 - Duarte-Ruiz, D.
A1 - Saßnick, H.-D.
A1 - Gentzmann, Marie C.
A1 - Huthwelker, T.
A1 - Cocchi, C.
T1 - Electronic Structure and Core Spectroscopy of Scandium Fluoride Polymorphs
N2 - Microscopic knowledge of the structural, energetic, and electronic properties of scandium fluoride is still incomplete despite the relevance of this material as an intermediate for the manufacturing of Al−Sc alloys. In a work based on first-principles calculations and X-ray spectroscopy, we assess the stability and electronic structure of six computationally predicted ScF3 polymorphs, two of which correspond to experimentally resolved single-crystal phases. In the theoretical analysis based on density functional theory (DFT), we identify similarities among the polymorphs based on their formation energies, chargedensity distribution, and electronic properties (band gaps and density of states). We find striking analogies between the results obtained for the ow- and high-temperature phases of the material, indirectly confirming that the transition occurring between them mainly consists of a rigid rotation of the lattice. With this knowledge, we examine the X-ray absorption spectra from the Sc and F K-edge contrasting firstprinciples results obtained from the solution of the Bethe−Salpeter equation on top of all-electron DFT with high-energy-resolution fluorescence detection measurements. Analysis of the computational results sheds light on the electronic origin of the absorption maxima and provides information on the prominent excitonic effects that characterize all spectra. A comparison with measurements confirms that the sample is mainly composed of the high- and low-temperature polymorphs of ScF3. However, some fine details in the experimental results suggest that the probed powder sample may contain defects and/or residual traces of metastable polymorphs.
KW - Scandium
KW - X-ray spectroscopy
PY - 2023
UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-570727
DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c04357
SN - 0020-1669
VL - 62
IS - 10
SP - 4238
EP - 4247
PB - ACS Publications
CY - Washington DC
AN - OPUS4-57072
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Erdmann, Eileen A.
A1 - Brandhorst, Antonia K. M.
A1 - Gorbushina, Anna
A1 - Schumacher, Julia
T1 - The Tet‑on system for controllable gene expression in the rock‑inhabiting black fungus Knufia petricola
N2 - Knufia petricola is a black fungus that colonizes sun-exposed surfaces as extreme and oligotrophic environments. As ecologically important heterotrophs and biofilm-formers on human-made surfaces, black fungi form one of the most resistant groups of biodeteriorating organisms. Due to its moderate growth rate in axenic culture and available protocols for its transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, K. petricola is used for studying the morpho-physiological adaptations shared by extremophilic and extremotolerant black fungi. In this study, the bacteria-derived tetracycline (TET)-dependent promoter (Tet-on) system was implemented to enable controllable gene expression in K. petricola. The functionality i.e., the dose-dependent inducibility of TET-regulated constructs was investigated by using GFP fluorescence, pigment synthesis(melanin and carotenoids) and restored uracil prototrophy as reporters. The newly generated cloning vectors containing the Tet-on construct, and the validated sites in the K. petricola genome for color-selectable or neutral insertion of expression constructs complete the reverse genetics toolbox. One or multiple genes can be expressed on demand from different genomic loci or from a single construct by using 2A self-cleaving peptides, e.g., for localizing proteins and protein complexes in the K. petricola cell or for using K. petricola as host for the expression of heterologous genes.
KW - Microcolonial fungi
KW - Inducible promoter
KW - Bimolecular fluorescence complementation
KW - 2A peptide
KW - CRISPR/ Cas9-mediated genome editing
PY - 2024
UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-607672
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-024-01354-2
VL - 28
IS - 38
SP - 1
EP - 13
PB - Springer Nature
AN - OPUS4-60767
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Schumacher, Julia
A1 - Gorbushina, Anna
T1 - Light sensing in plant- and rock-associated black fungi
N2 - Fungi that share light-flooded habitats with phototrophs may profit from their excess photosynthetic products. But to cope with sunlight-associated stresses [e.g. high temperatures, UV radiation with associated DNA damage, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), desiccation and osmotic stresses] it is important for fungi to accurately sense and respond to changes in light. To test the hypothesis that light is an environmental cue that Ascomycota use to coordinate growth, stress responses as well as to establish pathogenic or symbiotic relationships, the photoreceptor (PR) distribution in species from different ecological niches was analysed. The genomes of black [dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin-containing] fungi from phyllosphere and exposed solid surfaces contain multiple photoreceptors (PRs). The plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea (Leotiomycetes) has a highly sophisticated photosensory and signalling system that helps to avoid light and to locate susceptible hosts. Rock-inhabiting Dothideomycetes and Eurotiomycetes including Knufia petricola possess equal numbers ofPRs along with the same set of protective pigments. This similarity between black fungi from plant and rock surfaces suggests that photoperception and -regulation are important for fungi that receive nutrients through cooperation with phototrophs. Genetic tools for manipulating K. petricola exist and will be used to test this idea.
KW - Botrytis cinerea
KW - DHN melanin
KW - Knufia petricola
KW - Phyllosphere
KW - Rock biofilm
PY - 2020
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2020.01.004
VL - 124
IS - 5
SP - 407
EP - 417
AN - OPUS4-50786
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Aumont, Cédric
A1 - Beránková, T.
A1 - McMahon, Dino Peter
A1 - Radek, R.
A1 - Akama, P. D.
A1 - Sillam-Dussès, D.
A1 - Sobotnik, J.
ED - Scholtz, G.
T1 - The ultrastructure of the rostral gland in soldiers of Verrucositermes tuberosus (Blattodea: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae)
N2 - The soil-feeding habit is an evolutionary novelty found in some advanced groups of termites. The study of such groups is important to revealing interesting adaptations to this way-of-life. The genus Verrucositermes is one such example, characterized by peculiar outgrowths on the head capsule, antennae and maxillary palps, which are not found in any other termite. These structures have been hypothesized to be linked to the presence of a new exocrine organ, the rostral gland, whose structure has remained unexplored.
We have thus studied the ultrastructure of the epidermal layer of the head capsule of Verrucositermes tuberosus soldiers.We describe the ultrastructure of the rostral gland, which consists of class 3 secretory cells only. The dominant secretory organelles comprise rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, which provide secretions delivered to the surface of the head, likely made of peptide-derived components of unclear function. We discuss a possible role of the rostral gland of soldiers as an adaptation to the frequent encounter with soil pathogens during search for new food resources.
KW - Soil-feeding habit
KW - Advanced groups of termites
KW - New exocrine organ
KW - Rostral gland
KW - Epidemal layer
KW - Peptide-derived components
PY - 2023
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2023.101238
SN - 1467-8039
VL - 73
SP - 1
EP - 5
PB - Elsevier Ltd.
CY - London, UK
AN - OPUS4-57046
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Bresch, Harald
A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan
A1 - Schmidt, Alexandra
A1 - Rasmussen, K.
A1 - Rauscher, H.
T1 - Counting Small Particles in Electron Microscopy Images — Proposal for Rules and Their Application in Practice
N2 - Electron microscopy (EM) is the gold standard for the characterisation of the morphology (size and shape) of nanoparticles. Visual observation of objects under examination is always a necessary first step in the characterisation process. Several questions arise when undertaking to identify and count particles to measure their size and shape distribution. In addition to challenges with the dispersion and identification of the particles, more than one protocol for counting particles is in use. This paper focuses on precise rules for the counting of particles in EM micrographs, as this influences the measurement accuracy of the number of particles, thus implicitly affecting the size values of the counted particles. We review and compare four different, commonly used methods for counting, which we then apply in case studies. The impact of the selected counting rule on the obtained final particle size distribution is highlighted. One main aim of this analysis is to support the application of a specific, well-defined counting approach in accordance with regulatory
requirements to contribute to achieving more reliable and reproducible results. It is also useful for the new harmonised measurement procedures for determining the particle size and particle size distribution of nanomaterials.
KW - Nano
KW - Particle size distribution
KW - Nanoparticle
KW - Nanomaterial
KW - OECD
PY - 2022
UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-551891
DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12132238
SN - 2079-4991
VL - 12
IS - 13
SP - 2238
PB - MDPI
CY - Basel
AN - OPUS4-55189
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Mrkwitschka, Paul
A1 - Rühle, Bastian
A1 - Kuchenbecker, Petra
A1 - Löhmann, Oliver
A1 - Lindemann, Franziska
A1 - Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan
T1 - Embedding and cross-sectioning as a sample preparation procedure for accurate and representative size and shape measurement of nanopowders
N2 - Reliable measurement of the size of polydisperse, complex-shaped commercial nanopowders is a difficult but necessary task, e.g., for regulatory requirements and toxicity risk assessment. Suitable methods exist for the accurate characterization of the size of non-aggregated, stabilized, spherical and monodisperse nanoparticles. In contrast, industrial nanoscale powders usually require dedicated sample preparation procedures developed for the analysis method of choice. These nano-powders tend to agglomerate and/or aggregate, a behavior which in combination with an innate broad particle size distribution and irregular shape often significantly alters the achievable accuracy of the measured size parameters. The present study systematically tests two commercially available nanoscale powders using different sample preparation methods for correlative analysis by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Brunauer–Emmet–Teller method and differential mobility analysis. One focus was set on the sample preparation by embedding nanoparticles in carbon-based hot-mounting resin. Literature on this topic is scarce and the accuracy of the data extracted from cross sections of these particles is unclearly stated. In this paper systematic simulations on the deviation of the size parameters of well-defined series of nanoparticles with different shapes from the nominal value were carried out and the contributing factors are discussed.
KW - Nanopowder
KW - Electron microscopy
KW - Sample preparation
KW - Cross-sectioning
KW - Cerium oxide
KW - Zinc oxide
PY - 2024
UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-593289
DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-51094-0
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 14
SP - 1
EP - 10
PB - Springer Nature
CY - London
AN - OPUS4-59328
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -
TY - JOUR
A1 - Liu, Cong
A1 - Hellemans, Simon
A1 - Kinjo, Yukihiro
A1 - Mikhailova, Alina A
A1 - Aumont, Cédric
A1 - Weng, Yi-Ming
A1 - Buček, Aleš
A1 - Husnik, Filip
A1 - Šobotník, Jan
A1 - Harrison, Mark C
A1 - McMahon, Dino P
A1 - Bourguignon, Thomas
T1 - Recurrent horizontal gene transfers across diverse termite genomes
N2 - Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the transmission of genetic material across species, is an important innovation source in prokaryotes. In contrast, its significance is unclear in many eukaryotes, including insects. Here, we used high-quality genomes of 45 termites and two cockroaches to investigate HGTs from non-metazoan organisms across blattodean genomes. We identified 289 genes and 2,494 pseudogenes classified into 168 orthologous groups originating from an estimated 281 HGT events. Wolbachia represented the primary HGT source, while termite gut bacteria and the cockroach endosymbiont Blattabacterium did not contribute meaningfully to HGTs. Most horizontally acquired genes descended from recent and species-specific HGTs, experienced frequent duplications and pseudogenizations, and accumulated substitutions faster than synonymous sites of native protein-coding genes. Genes frequently transferred horizontally to termite genomes included mobile genetic elements and genetic information processing genes. Our results indicate that termites continuously acquired genes through HGT, and that most horizontally acquired genes are specific to restricted lineages. Overall, genes acquired by HGT by termites and cockroaches seemed generally non-functional and bound to be lost.
KW - Phylogenomics
KW - Isoptera
KW - Comparative genomics
PY - 2026
DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpag003
SN - 0014-3820
SP - 1
EP - 14
PB - Oxford University Press (OUP)
AN - OPUS4-65418
LA - eng
AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
ER -