Investigating the effect of quorum sensing on the dissolved organic matter dynamics and its interaction with per- and...

The present work evaluated the synergistic impact of exogenous quorum sensing (QS) on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances mitigation (PFASs) during anaerobic digestion (AD). Results showed the QS-treated group exhibited a 15.58 % enhancement in cumulative methane yield, accelerated conversion of volatile fatty acids. FT-ICR-MS results indicated an accumulation of lignin (68.5-81.0 %) and condensed aromatic compounds (5.3-12.3 %) in the QS group, implying the development of more recalcitrant and structurally intricate organic substances. Simultaneously, the total PFASs concentration decreased more significantly in the treatment group, with precursors and long-chain PFASs exhibiting greater reduction rates compared to the control. Co-occurrence network analysis further revealed that QS reshaped the microbial-PFASs-DOM interactions by increasing microbial connectively and centrality of methanogenic archaea, which establishing stronger associations between PFASs and DOM. This study provides novel evidence that QS enhancing organic matter degradation and PFASs mitigation during biomass AD, offering a promising approach for integrated bioenergy production and environmental remediation.