Impact of uranium on antibiotic resistance in activated sludge. - Related Documents




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793601.0000Impact of uranium on antibiotic resistance in activated sludge. The emergence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in the environment is well established as a human health crisis. The impact of radioactive heavy metals on ecosystems and ultimately on human health has become a global issue, especially for the regions suffering various nuclear activities or accidents. However, whether the radionuclides can affect the fate of antibiotic resistance in bacteria remains poorly understood. Here, the dynamics of ARB, three forms of ARGs-intracellular ARGs (iARGs), adsorbed extracellular ARGs (aeARGs), and free extracellular ARGs (feARGs)-and microbial communities were investigated following exposure to uranium (U), a representative radioactive heavy metal. The results showed that 90-d of U exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations of 0.05 mg/L or 5 mg/L significantly increased the ARB concentration in activated sludge (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 90-d of U exposure slightly elevated the absolute abundance of aeARGs (except tetO) and sulfonamide iARGs, but decreased tetracycline iARGs. Regarding feARGs, the abundance of tetC, tetO, and sul1 decreased after 90-d of U stress, whereas sul2 showed the opposite trend. Partial least-squares path model analysis revealed that the abundance of aeARGs and iARGs under U stress was predominantly driven by increased cell membrane permeability/intI1 abundance and cell membrane permeability/reactive oxygen species concentration, respectively. Conversely, the changes in feARGs abundance depended on the composition of the microbial community and the expression of efflux pumps. Our findings shed light on the variations of ARGs and ARB in activated sludge under U exposure, providing a more comprehensive understanding of antibiotic resistance risks aggravated by radioactive heavy metal-containing wastewater.202438278272
797810.9998Metagenomic insight into the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge upon exposure to nanoplastics. Activated sludge is an important reservoir for the co-occurring emerging contaminants including nanoplastics (NPs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, the impacts and potential mechanisms of NPs on the fate of ARGs in activated sludge are not fully understood. Herein, we used metagenomic approach to investigate the responses of ARGs, host bacteria, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and functional genes to polystyrene (PS) NPs at environmentally relevant (0.5 mg/L) and high stress concentrations (50 mg/L) in activated sludge. The results showed that 0.5 and 50 mg/L PS NPs increased the relative abundance of ARGs in the activated sludge by 58.68% and 46.52%, respectively (p < 0.05). Host tracking analysis elucidated that the hosts of ARGs were significantly enriched by PS NPs (p < 0.05), with Proteobacteria being the predominant host bacteria. Additionally, the occurrence of new ARGs hosts and the enrichment of MGEs and functional genes (i.e., genes related to SOS response, cell membrane permeability, and secretion system, etc.) indicated that PS NPs promoted horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of ARGs. Finally, path modeling analysis revealed that the proliferation of ARGs caused by PS NPs was primarily attributed to the enhancement of HGT and the enrichment of host bacteria. Our findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the spread risk of ARGs in activated sludge under NPs pollution.202439510298
793720.9998Effects of oxytetracycline on variation in intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes during swine manure composting. This research aimed to investigate the alterations in extracellular (eARGs) and intracellular (iARGs) antibiotic resistance genes in response to oxytetracycline (OTC), and unravel the dissemination mechanism of ARGs during composting. The findings revealed both low (L-OTC) and high contents (H-OTC) of OTC significantly enhanced absolute abundance (AA) of iARGs (p < 0.05), compared to CK (no OTC). Composting proved to be a proficient strategy for removing eARGs, while AA of eARGs was significantly enhanced in H-OTC (p < 0.05). OTC resulted in an increase in AA of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), ATP levels, antioxidant and DNA repair enzymes in bacteria in compost product. Structural equation model further demonstrated that OTC promoted bacterial DNA repair and antioxidant enzyme activities, altered bacterial community and enhanced MGEs abundance, thereby facilitating iARGs dissemination. This study highlights OTC can increase eARGs and iARGs abundance, underscoring the need for appropriate countermeasures to mitigate potential hazards.202438036151
798030.9998Effect of dissolved biochar on the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a global environmental issue. Dissolved biochar is more likely to contact bacteria in water, producing ecological risks. This study explored the effects of dissolved biochar on ARGs transfer in bacteria. Conjugative transfer efficiency was significantly different following treatment with different types of dissolved biochar. Typically, humic acid-like substance in dissolved biochar can significantly improve the transfer efficiency of ARGs between bacteria. When the concentration of dissolved biochar was ≤10 mg biochar/mL, humic acid-like substance substantially promoted ARGs transfer. An increase in dissolved biochar concentration weakened the ARGs transfer from humic acid-like substance. The inhibitory effects of small-molecule matters dominated, decreasing conjugative transfer frequency. At a concentration of 100 mg biochar/mL, the conjugative transfer efficiency of all treatments was lower than that of control. Compared with corn straw dissolved biochar, there were more transconjugants in pine sawdust dissolved biochar. Following treatment with 10 mg biochar/mL pine sawdust dissolved biochar, the number of transconjugants was at its maximum; approximately 7.3 folds higher than the control. We also explored mechanisms by which dissolved biochar impacts conjugative transfer. Due to the complex composition of dissolved biochar, its effects on the expression of conjugative transfer-related genes were also dynamic. This study investigates the ecological risk of biochar and guides its scientific application.202134274650
793840.9998Temporal dynamics of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge upon exposure to starvation. The activated sludge represents a huge reservoir for antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Owing to the wastewater fluctuation, annual maintenance and storage requirement, the activated sludge in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may suffer from substrate deficiency (i.e., starvation). Whereas the starvation has been confirmed to regulate the antibiotic resistance in numerous pure bacteria, its impacts on the antibiotic resistance in activated sludge remain unclear. Here, the dynamics of sulfonamide and tetracycline ARB and corresponding ARGs in three forms including intracellular ARGs (iARGs), adsorbed extracellular ARGs (aeARGs) and free extracellular ARGs (feARGs) in activated sludge upon exposure to starvation were investigated. The results showed that, among the different electron donors (i.e., carbon, nitrogen and phosphate), carbon starvation could effectively reduce the absolute abundance of ARB and aeARGs by up to 1.68 lgs and 2.62 lgs, respectively, and released a small amount of feARGs in wastewater with the maximum value of 1.1 × 10(5) copies/mL due to the high degree of sludge cell lysis and DNA adsorption/degradation. For the different acceptor conditions (that is, alternating anaerobic-aerobic, anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic), the anaerobic-aerobic starvation obviously mitigated the absolute abundance of ARB, aeARGs and iARGs by 0.71 lgs, 3.41 lgs and 1.35 lgs, respectively, via the substantial sludge cell lysis and DNA degradation. These findings demonstrated the response patterns and mechanisms of bacterial resistance in activated sludge to starvation stress, and thus provide clues to control the risk of antibiotic resistance in WWTPs by the starvation strategy.202235690205
797950.9998Size-dependent promotion of micro(nano)plastics on the horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in constructed wetlands. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been identified as significant sources of micro(nano)plastics (MPs/NPs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic environments. However, little is known about the impact of MPs/NPs exposure on horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of ARGs and shaping the corresponding ARG hosts' community. Herein, the contribution of polystyrene (PS) particles (control, 4 mm, 100 μm, and 100 nm) to ARG transfer was investigated by adding an engineered fluorescent Escherichia coli harboring RP4 plasmid-encoded ARGs into CWs. It was found MPs/NPs significantly promoted ARG transfer in a size-dependent manner in each CW medium (p < 0.05). The 100 μm-sized PS exhibited the most significant promotion of ARG transfer (p < 0.05), whereas 100 nm-sized PS induced limited promotion due to its inhibitory activity on microbes. The altered RP4-carrying bacterial communities suggested that MPs/NPs, especially 100 µm-PS, could recruit pathogenic and nitrifying bacteria to acquire ARGs. The increased sharing of RP4-carrying core bacteria in CW medium further suggested that ARGs can spread into CW microbiome using MPs/NPs as carriers. Overall, our results highlight the high risks of ARG dissemination induced by MPs/NPs exposure and emphasize the need for better control of plastic disposal to prevent the potential health threats.202337657315
808360.9997Alteration of the migration trajectory of antibiotic resistance genes by microplastics in a leachate activated sludge system. The environmental behavior of emerging contaminants of microplastics (MPs), antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the leachate activated sludge system has been monitored and analyzed comprehensively. The results suggested that MPs could effectively alter the migration trajectory of tetracycline resistance genes (tet genes) in the leachate activated sludge system under intermittent and continuous influent conditions. After adding MPs, the total average abundance of tet genes in leachate increased from 0.74 ± 0.07 to 0.78 ± 0.07 (log(10)tet genes/log(10) 16S rRNA) and that in sludge increased from 0.65 ± 0.08 to 0.70 ± 0.06 (log(10)tet genes/log(10) 16S rRNA). Except for tetA, the abundance of tetB, tetO, tetM and tetQ on MPs increased with increasing TC concentration under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. MPs not only significantly affect the abundance level and migration trajectory of ARGs in the leachate activated sludge system, but also remarkably improve the level of heavy metals in the ambient environment, indirectly promoting the selective effect of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and promoting the development of antibiotic resistance (AR). In addition, MPs changed their physicochemical properties and released hazardous substances with aging to force tet genes to migrate from the leachate activated sludge system to the MPs, making AR more difficult to eliminate and persisted in wastewater treatment plants. Meanwhile, microorganisms played a driving role, making MPs serve as a niche for ARGs and ARB colonization. The co-occurrence network analysis indicated the specific distribution pattern of tet genes and microorganisms in different media, and the potential host was speculated. This study improves the understanding of the environmental behavior of emerging contaminants in leachate activated sludge system and lays a theoretical for protecting the ecological environment.202337321316
791370.9997Response of the partial denitrification coupled with anaerobic ammonia oxidation system to disinfectant residues stress. The extensive use of disinfectants, especially NaClO, has resulted in chlorine disinfectant residues entering and impairing the biological treatment system. This study combined with long-term stress and transient shock of chlorine residues to comprehensively evaluate the variations of nitrogen removal performance, microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes composition in the PD/A system. The results showed that low concentration NaClO had no obvious harm to the system, but high concentration (>1 mg/L) NaClO would destroy the nitrogen removal performance of PD/A system. Interestingly, microorganisms in biofilm were more resistant to chlorine residues than that in sludge. Anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria suffered more harm than denitrifying microorganisms, and chlorine residues mainly inhibited the process of converting N(2)H(4) to N(2) in anammox reaction. In addition, this study found that sludge showed a more significant increase in ARGs abundance and risk than biofilm. Moreover, risk assessments indicated that chlorine residues increased the risk of ARGs in PD/A systems.202540010223
750280.9997Differential dose-response patterns of intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes under sub-lethal antibiotic exposure. Although antibiotics are one of the most significant factors contributing to the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), studies on the dose-response relationship at sub-lethal concentrations of antibiotics remain scarce, despite their importance for assessing the risks of antibiotics in the environment. In this study, we constructed a series of microcosms to investigate the propagation of intracellular (iARGs) and extracellular (eARGs) ARGs in both water and biofilms when exposed to antibiotics at various concentrations (1-100 μg/L) and frequencies. Results showed that eARGs were more abundant than iARGs in water, while iARGs were the dominant ARGs form in biofilms. eARGs showed differentiated dose-response relationships from iARGs. The abundance of iARGs increased with the concentration of antibiotics as enhanced selective pressure overcame the metabolic burden of antibiotic-resistant bacteria carrying ARGs. However, the abundance of eARGs decreased with increasing antibiotic concentrations because less ARGs were secreted from bacterial hosts at higher concentrations (100 μg/L). Furthermore, combined exposure to two antibiotics (tetracycline & imipenem) showed a synergistic effect on the propagation of iARGs, but an antagonistic effect on the propagation of eARGs compared to exposure to a single antibiotic. When exposed to antibiotic at a fixed total dose, one-time dosing (1 time/10 d) favored the propagation of iARGs, while fractional dosing (5 times /10 d) favored the propagation of eARGs. This study sheds light on the propagation of antibiotic resistance in the environment and can help in assessing the risks associated with the use of antibiotics.202337257347
757590.9997Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in uranium mine: Distribution and influencing factors. Both heavy metals and radiation could affect the proliferation and dissemination of emerging antibiotic resistance pollutants. As an environmental medium rich in radioactive metals, the profile of antibiotic resistance in uranium mine remains largely unknown. A uranium mine in Guangdong province, China was selected to investigate the distribution and influencing factors of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) including intracellular ARGs (iARGs), adsorbed-extracellular ARGs (aeARGs), and free extracellular ARGs (feARGs). The result indicated that sulfonamide and tetracycline ARB could be generally detected in mining area with the absolute concentrations of 7.70 × 10(2)-5.18 × 10(5) colony forming unit/g. The abundances of aeARGs in mine soil were significantly higher than those of iARGs (p < 0.05), highlighting the critical contribution of aeARGs to ARGs spread. The feARGs in mine drainage and its receiving river were abundant (3.38 × 10(4)-1.86 × 10(7) copies/mL). ARB, aeARGs, and iARGs may correlate with nitrogen species and heavy metals (e.g., U and Mn), and feARGs presented a significant correlation with chemical oxygen demand (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the occurrence of ARB and ARGs in uranium mine for the first time, thereby contributing to the assessment and control of the ecological risk of antibiotic resistance in radioactive environments.202235304179
7565100.9997Microalgae Enhances the Adaptability of Epiphytic Bacteria to Sulfamethoxazole Stress and Proliferation of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Mediated by Integron. The transmission of ARGs in the microalgae-associated epiphytic bacteria remains unclear under antibiotic exposure, apart from altering the microbial community structure. In this study, Chlorella vulgaris cocultured with bacteria screened from surface water was examined to explore the spread of ARGs in the presence of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The extracellular polymers released by Chlorella vulgaris could reduce antibiotic-induced collateral damage to bacteria, thus increasing the diversity of the microalgae-associated epiphytic bacteria. The abundances of sul1 and intI1 in the phycosphere at 1 mg/L SMX dose increased by 290 and 28 times, respectively. Metagenomic sequencing further confirmed that SMX bioaccumulation stimulated the horizontal transfer of sul1 mediated by intI1 in the microalgae-associated epiphytic bacteria, while reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress induced the SOS response and thus enhanced the transformation of sul1 in the J group. This is the first study to verify that microalgae protect bacteria from antibiotic damage and hinder the spread of ARGs mediated by SOS response, while the transfer of ARGs mediated by integron is promoted due to the bioaccumulation of SMX in the phycosphere. The results contribute to present comprehensive understanding of the risk of ARG proliferation by the presence of emerging contaminants residues in river.202439417646
7944110.9997Effects of nitrogen-driven eutrophication on the horizontal transfer of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in water-sediment environments. Excessive nitrogen and other nutrients can trigger the eutrophication of freshwater bodies. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are now recognized as environmental pollutants, with extracellular ARGs (eARGs) being the dominant form in sediments. However, research on the propagation characteristics of eARGs remains limited. This study investigated the transfer characteristics of kanamycin resistance (KR) genes in the pEASY-T1 plasmid to intracellular DNA (iDNA) and extracellular DNA (eDNA) in water and sediment microenvironments under increasing nitrogen concentrations, as well as the community structure of free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA) bacteria. The results revealed KR genes relative abundance in free extracellular DNA (f-eDNA) and adsorbed extracellular DNA (a-eDNA) of the water initially decreased and then increased with rising nitrogen concentrations. Its abundance in iDNA of the sediments decreased significantly with increasing nitrogen content, with relative abundance ranging from 5.09 × 10(-4) to 1.14 × 10(-3) copies/16SrRNA. The transfer from eDNA to iDNA in the water showed a rising and then falling trend as nitrogen concentration rose. The transfer of iDNA from the water to iDNA in sediments exhibited the opposite pattern. Additionally, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were identified as key factors influencing the abundance of KR genes in the water, but total phosphorus (TP) was the primary determinant of KR gene distribution in sediments according to random forest analysis. These findings reveal novel mechanisms of eARG propagation in eutrophic environments, providing a theoretical foundation for managing antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems.202540057108
8591120.9997Nanoscale zero-valent iron alleviate antibiotic resistance risk during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) by regulating denitrifying bacterial network. The frequent occurrence of antibiotics in reclaimed water is concerning, in the case of managed aquifer recharge (MAR), it inevitably hinders further water purification and accelerates the evolutionary resistance in indigenous bacteria. In this study, we constructed two column reactors and nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) amendment was applied for its effects on water quality variation, microbial community succession, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) dissemination, deciphered the underlying mechanism of resistance risk reduction. Results showed that nZVI was oxidized to iron oxides in the sediment column, and total effluent iron concentration was within permissible limits. nZVI enhanced NO(3)(-)-N removal by 15.5% through enriching denitrifying bacteria and genes, whereas made no effects on oxacillin (OXA) removal. In addition, nZVI exhibited a pivotal impact on ARGs and plasmids decreasing. Network analysis elucidated that the diversity and richness of ARG host declined with nZVI amendment. Denitrifying bacteria play a key role in suppressing horizontal gene transfer (HGT). The underlying mechanisms of inhibited HGT included the downregulated SOS response, the inhibited Type-Ⅳ secretion system and the weakened driving force. This study afforded vital insights into ARG spread control, providing a reference for future applications of nZVI in MAR.202438134694
8082130.9997Deciphering the toxic effects of antibiotics on denitrification: Process performance, microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes. The extensive application of antibiotics, and the occurrence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) shade health risks to human and animal. The long-term effects of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and tetracycline (TC) on denitrification process were evaluated in this study, with the focus on nitrogen removal performance, microbial community and ARGs. Results showed that low-concentration SMX and TC (<0.2 mg L(-1)) initially caused a deterioration in nitrogen removal performance, while higher concentrations (0.4-20 mg L(-1)) of both antibiotics had no further inhibitory influences. The abundances of ARGs in both systems generally increased during the whole period, and most of them had significant correlations with intI1, especially efflux-pump genes. Castellaniella, which was the dominant genus under antibiotic pressure, might be potential resistant bacteria. These findings provide an insight into the toxic effects of different antibiotics on denitrification process, and guides future efforts to control antibiotics pollution in ecosystems.202032250829
7939140.9997Metagenomic insights into the distribution, mobility, and hosts of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge under starvation stress. Extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) are important emerging environmental pollutants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Nutritional substrate deficiency (i.e., starvation) frequently occurs in WWTPs owing to annual maintenance, water quality fluctuation, and sludge storage; and it can greatly alter the antibiotic resistance and extracellular DNA content of bacteria. However, the fate and corresponding transmission risk of eARGs in activated sludge under starvation stress remain largely unknown. Herein, we used metagenomic sequencing to explore the effects of starvation scenarios (carbon, nitrogen, and/or phosphorus deficiency) and environmental conditions (alternating anaerobic-aerobic, anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic) on the distribution, mobility, and hosts of eARGs in activated sludge. The results showed that 30 days of starvation reduced the absolute abundances of eARGs by 40.9%-88.2%, but high-risk dual and multidrug resistance genes persisted. Starvation, particularly the simultaneous lack of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus under aerobic conditions, effectively alleviated eARGs by reducing the abundance of extracellular mobile genetic elements (eMGEs). Starvation also altered the profile of bacterial hosts of eARGs and the bacterial community composition, the latter of which had an indirect positive effect on eARGs via changing eMGEs. Our findings shed light on the response patterns and mechanisms of eARGs in activated sludge under starvation conditions and highlight starvation as a potential strategy to mitigate the risk of previously neglected eARGs in WWTPs.202337060877
7566150.9997Antibiotic sulfadiazine degradation by persulfate oxidation: Intermediates dependence of ecotoxicity and the induction of antibiotic resistance genes. To preserve the water resources, this study has analyzed the ecotoxicity and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) induction capacity of sulfadiazine degradation intermediates resulting from persulfate activation oxidation enhanced by ultraviolet, ultrasound and microwave. The five degradation pathways caused by the contribution discrepancy of electron transfer and singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) and variations in the ecotoxicity of different degradation products were analyzed. Microcosm experiment exhibited that the microbial community in actual water changed significantly with SDZ and degradation intermediates, in which the dominant genera were Aeromonas, Cupriavidus, Elizabethkingia and Achromobacter. Except for the selective pressure on bacteria, the degradation intermediates also exert a certain degree or even stronger induction on sulfonamide ARGs (sul4, sul1 and sul2) than SDZ. Furthermore, the potential hosts for sulfonamide ARGs were revealed by network analysis. These results provide a better understanding of antibiotics degradation mechanism and ARGs occurrence, which is useful for controlling the spread of ARGs.202336372382
7563160.9997Polystyrene microplastics alleviate the effects of sulfamethazine on soil microbial communities at different CO(2) concentrations. Microplastics were reported to adsorb antibiotics and may modify their effects on soil systems. But there has been little research investigating how microplastics may affect the toxicities of antibiotics to microbes under future climate conditions. Here, we used a free-air CO(2) enrichment system to investigate the responses of soil microbes to sulfamethazine (SMZ, 1 mg kg(-1)) in the presence of polystyrene microplastics (PS, 5 mg kg(-1)) at different CO(2) concentrations (ambient at 380 ppm and elevated at 580 ppm). SMZ alone decreased bacterial diversity, negatively affected the bacterial structure and inter-relationships, and enriched the sulfonamide-resistance genes (sul1 and sul2) and class 1 integron (intl1). PS, at both CO(2) conditions, showed little effect on soil bacteria but markedly alleviated SMZ's adverse effects on bacterial diversity, composition and structure, and inhibited sul1 transmission by decreasing the intl1 abundance. Elevated CO(2) had limited modification in SMZ's disadvantages to microbial communities but markedly decreased the sul1 and sul2 abundance. Results indicated that increasing CO(2) concentration or the presence of PS affected the responses of soil microbes to SMZ, providing new insights into the risk prediction of antibiotics under future climate conditions.202133592488
7981170.9997Dissolved biochar eliminates the effect of Cu(II) on the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. The proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has posed significant risks to human and environmental health. Research has confirmed that Cu(II) could accelerate the conjugative transfer of ARGs between bacteria. This study found that adding dissolved biochar effectively weakened or eliminated the Cu(II)-facilitated efficient transfer of ARGs. The efficiency of conjugative transfer was promoted after treatment with Cu(II) (0.05 mg/L) or dissolved biochar at a pyrolysis temperature of 300 °C. When exposed to the combination of Cu(II) and dissolved biochar, the transfer frequency was significantly reduced; this occurred regardless of the Cu(II) concentration or pyrolysis temperature of dissolved biochar. In particular, when the Cu(II) concentration exceeded 0.5 mg/L, the transfer efficiency was entirely inhibited. Gene expression analysis indicated that different treatments affect transfer efficiency by regulating the expression of three global regulatory genes: korA, korB, and trbA. Among them, humic acid repressed the expression of these genes; however, Cu(II) formed complex with the humic acid-like components, gradually weakening the inhibitive effect of these components. The promotion of low molecule organic matters dominated, resulting in a dynamic decline in the transfer efficiency. This study provides a new environmental contaminant treatment approach to eliminate the heavy metal-facilitated transfer of ARGs between bacteria.202234583164
8588180.9997Does lipid stress affect performance, fate of antibiotic resistance genes and microbial dynamics during anaerobic digestion of food waste? The dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in food waste (FW) disposal can pose severe threats to public health. Lipid is a primary composition in FW, while whether lipid stress can affect ARGs dynamics during anaerobic digestion (AD) process of FW is uncertain. This study focused on the impacts of lipid stress on methane production, fate of ARGs and its microbial mechanisms during AD of FW. Results showed that high lipid content increased methane yield but prolonged hydrolysis and lag time of methane production compared to AD of FW without oil. Moreover, variations of ARGs were more susceptible to lipid stress. Lipid stress could facilitate the reduction of total ARGs abundances compared to the group without oil, particularly restraining the proliferation of sul1, aadA1 and mefA in AD systems (P < 0.05). Mantel test suggested that integrons (intl1 and intl2) were significantly correlated with all detected ARGs (r: 0.33, P < 0.05), indicating that horizontal gene transfer mediated by integrons could be the driving force on ARGs dissemination. Network analysis suggested that Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Synergistetes and Proteobacteria were the main potential hosts of ARGs. In addition, under the lipid stress, the reduction of host bacteria was responsible for the elimination of several specific ARGs, thereby affecting ARGs profiles. These findings firstly deciphered ARGs dynamics and their driving factors responding to lipid stress during anaerobic biological treatment of FW.202133250254
7930190.9997Fates of extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge and plastisphere under sulfadiazine pressure. Microplastics, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent prominent emerging contaminants that can potentially hinder the efficacy of biological wastewater treatment and pose health risks. Plastisphere as a distinct ecological niche for microorganisms, acts as a repository for ARGs and potential pathogenic bacteria. Nonetheless, the spread pattern of extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) in plastisphere under antibiotic exposure was not yet known. This study aimed to investigate disparities in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production, extracellular and intracellular microbial community structures, as well as the transmission of eARGs and iARGs between activated sludge and plastisphere in an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system under sulfadiazine (SDZ) exposure. SDZ was found to enhance EPS production in activated sludge and plastisphere. Interestingly, as SDZ removal efficiency increased, EPS content decreased in activated sludge and plastisphere collected from oxic zone, and continued to increase in plastisphere samples collected from anaerobic and anoxic zones. There were significant differences in microbial community structure between activated sludge and plastisphere, and the DNA fragments of potential pathogenic bacteria were detected in extracellular samples. SDZ exhibited a promoting effect on the propagation of eARGs, which were more abundant in the plastisphere than in activated sludge, thus heightening the risk of ARGs dissemination. Extracellular mobile genetic elements played a pivotal role in driving the spread of eARGs, while the microbial community induced the changes of iARGs. Potential pathogenic bacteria emerged as potential hosts for ARGs and mobile genetic elements within activated sludge and plastisphere, leading to more serious environmental threats.202337898001