Electrochemical Immunoassay of E. coil in Urban Sludge Using Electron Mediator-mediated Enzymatic Catalysis and Gold Nanoparticles for Signal Amplification

An electrochemical immunosensor was developed for sensitive assay ofE. coli in urban sludge, in which electron mediator-mediated enzymatic catalysis and gold nanoparticles（AuNPs） were utilized for signal amplification. The immnuosensing platform chitosan-thionine（chit-thio）/poly（amidoamine） dendrimer-encapsulated AuNPs [PAMAM（Au）] composites were first prepared from chit-thio and PAMAM（Au） using the layer-by-layer method to provide a matrix for high-stability and high-bioactivity bindings of the capture antibody（cAb）. Moreover, the {dAb-AuNPs-HRP} nanoprobes were designed to exploit the amplification effect of the carrier AuNPs due to the loading amounts of horseradish peroxidase（HRP）and the detection antibody（dAb）. The sandwich-type immunoassay was then successfully used to assay E. coli based on the oxidation of thionine as a result of H2O2-induced enzymatic catalytic reaction by HRP. This study presents a powerful tool in electrochemical immunoassay for E. coli detection with rapid response, high-sensitivity and high-specificity, providing a potential new tool for feasibility assessment of sludge recycle.

Simulated Leaching Research on the Effects of Sewage Sludge on Nutrients and Heavy Metals in Aeolian Sandy Soil

[ Objective] The study aims at discussing the feasibility of urban sewage sludge applied to desertification forestland. [ Method] Through the simulated leaching test, the effects of sewage sludge application on the content of nutrients and heavy metals in aeolian sandy soil were ana- lyzed. [ Result] After the simulated leaching with sewage sludge, the contents of total nitrogen （TN）, total phosphorus （TP）, available nitrogen （AN） and available phosphorus （AP） in each layer of aeolian sandy soil increased significantly, and the increase in 0 -20 cm soil was more signifi- cant than that in 20 -40 and 40 -60 cm soil. Meanwhile, the content of each heavy metal in 0 -20 cm soil rose significantly, while the increase was small in 40 -60 cm soil. In addition, after the application of sewage sludge, the Nemrew Index of aeolian sandy soil was 0.67, lower than the na- tional soil quality standard of forestland （0.70）, and the short-time application of sewage sludge to sandy soil did not cause serious pollution. How- ever, if sewage sludge has been applied to aeolian sandy soil for a long term, the potential hazard of heavy metals （especially Cd） caused by loneterm accumulation should be paid more attention to.

Monitoring the variation of soil quality with sewage sludge application rates in absence of rhizosphere effect

Agricultural soils in semi-arid regions have frequently been degraded due to adverse climatic conditions,organic matter depletion,and poor farming practices.To enhance soil quality,this study examines the reuse of sewage sludge(SS)as an available source of organic matter in a typical Mediterranean sandy-loam soil.Accordingly,we studied the cumulative effect of two annual applications of 40,80 and 120 tons of sludge per ha on soil quality in absence of vegetation.The dose-dependent improvement of organic matter content was the most significant event that reflected sludge application rates,and consequently influenced other soil properties.Accordingly,soil structural stability increased by 13.3%,28.8%and 59.4%for treatments SS-40,SS-80 and SS-120 respectively as compared to unamended control.Structural stability improvement was also confirmed by the dose-dependent variation of other edaphic factors including calcium content,the microbial quotient as well as Welt and C:N ratios.These param-eters are involved in cementing soil aggregates by cation bridging,the formation of microbial mucilage,and clay-humic complexes.Soil magnetic susceptibility(SMS)was measured in situ as a possible rapid tool to evaluate soil condition.SMS showed significant correlation with sludge dose and stability amelioration testifying to the aggregation role that can play Al2O3 and particularly Fe2O3 minerals added by the hematite-rich sludge.Besides,analytical results and field observations revealed no trends of soil salinization or acidification by excessive sludge amounts.By avoiding the rhizosphere effect,outcomes could reflect the resilience and intrinsic capacity of the soil to cope with excessive sludge loads.