Algal-bacterial consortium mediated system offers effective removal of nitrogen nutrients and antibiotic resistance genes. - Related Documents




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804201.0000Algal-bacterial consortium mediated system offers effective removal of nitrogen nutrients and antibiotic resistance genes. The sulfonamide antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) especially sul1 was identified as the dominant in eutrophic water. The performance of Chlorella vulgaris-B. licheniformis consortium toward sul1 removal, total nitrogen (TN) removal, and the mechanism of sul1 removal was investigated. The removal efficiency of exogenous ARGs plasmids carrying sul1 reached (97.2 ± 2.3)%. The TN removal rate reached (98.5 ± 1.2)%. The enhancements of carbon metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and glycoproteins had significant influences on sul1 and TN removals, under the premise of normal growth of algae and bacteria. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results suggested that the absolute abundances of sul1 were low in algal-bacterial systems (0 gene copies/mL) compared with individual systems ((1 × 10(6) ± 15) gene copies/mL). The duplication of sul1 was inhibited in algal cells and bacterial cells. The algal-bacterial consortium seems to be a promising technology for wastewater treatment with a potential to overcome the eutrophication and ARGs challenges.202236049708
719210.9998Sulfamethoxazole and COD increase abundance of sulfonamide resistance genes and change bacterial community structures within sequencing batch reactors. The abundant microbial community in biological treatment processes in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may potentially enhance the horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes with the presence of antibiotics. A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor was designed to investigate response of sulfonamide resistance genes (sulI, sulII) and bacterial communities to various concentrations of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of wastewater. The SMX concentrations (0.001 mg/L, 0.1 mg/L and 10 mg/L) decreased with treatment time and higher SMX level was more difficult to remove. The presence of SMX also significantly reduced the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen, affecting the normal function of WWTPs. All three concentrations of SMX raised both sulI and sulII genes with higher concentrations exhibiting greater increases. The abundance of sul genes was positive correlated with treatment time and followed the second-order reaction kinetic model. Interestingly, these two genes have rather similar activity. SulI and sulII gene abundance also performed similar response to COD. Simpson index and Shannon-Weiner index did not show changes in the microbial community diversity. However, the 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing results showed the bacterial community structures varied during different stages. The results demonstrated that influent antibiotics into WWTPs may facilitate selection of ARGs and affect the wastewater conventional treatment as well as the bacteria community structures.201728211331
784420.9998Insight into using a novel ultraviolet/peracetic acid combination disinfection process to simultaneously remove antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater: Mechanism and comparison with conventional processes. In this study, the simultaneous removal mechanism of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was investigated using the novel ultraviolet/peracetic acid (UV/PAA) combination disinfection process and conventional disinfection processes were also applied for comparison. The results showed that UV/PAA disinfection with a high UV dosage (UV/PAA-H) was most effective for the removal of tetracyclines, quinolones, macrolides and β-lactams; their average removal efficiencies ranged from 25.7% to 100%, while NaClO disinfection was effective for the removal of sulfonamides (∼81.6%). The majority of ARGs were well removed after the UV/PAA-H disinfection, while specific genes including tetB, tetC, ermA and bla(TEM) significantly increased after NaClO disinfection. In addition, β-lactam resistance genes (-35.9%) and macrolides resistance genes (-12.0%) remarkably augmented after UV/NaClO disinfection. The highly reactive oxidation species generated from UV/PAA process including hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and carbon-centered organic radicals (R-C•), were responsible for the elimination of antibiotics and ARGs. Correlation analysis showed that tetracycline, sulfonamide and macrolide antibiotics removal showed a positive correlation with the corresponding ARGs, and a low dose of antibiotic residues played an important role in the distribution of ARGs. Metagenomic sequencing analysis showed that UV/PAA disinfection could not only greatly decrease the abundance of resistant bacteria but also downregulate the expression of key functional genes involved in ARGs propagation and inhibit the signal transduction of the host bacteria, underlying that its removal mechanism was quite different from that of NaClO-based disinfection processes. Our study provides valuable information for understanding the simultaneous removal mechanism of antibiotics and ARGs in wastewater during the disinfection processes, especially for the novel UV/PAA combination process.202234982977
804130.9998Insights into the microalgae-bacteria consortia treating swine wastewater: Symbiotic mechanism and resistance genes analysis. This study investigated the effects of microalgae-bacteria consortia (MBC) (Chlorella pyrenoidosa-activated sludge (AS)) treating swine wastewater with low C/N ratios. After co-culture, the removal rates of NH(4)(+)-N and PO(4)(3-)-P increased by 53.84% and 43.52%. Furthermore, the sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation rates in MBC were slightly higher than in the activated sludge process. Interestingly, the absolute abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in effluent from MBC is relatively less than in the AS process. C. pyrenoidosa has a negative zeta potential that allows bacteria to adhere to its surface. The concentrations of carbohydrates and proteins in extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of MBC dramatically increased compared with the AS process. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Cyanobacteria were the main bacteria, while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the primary fungi in MBC. Overall, those findings lead to a better understanding of the swine wastewater containing antibiotic treatment by MBC.202235217162
800540.9998Deciphering the fate of antibiotic resistance genes in norfloxacin wastewater treated by a bio-electro-Fenton system. The misuse of antibiotics has increased the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), considered a class of critical environmental contaminants due to their ubiquitous and persistent nature. Previous studies reported the potentiality of bio-electro-Fenton processes for antibiotic removal and ARGs control. However, the production and fate of ARGs in bio-electro-Fenton processes triggered by microbial fuel cells are rare. In this study, the norfloxacin (NFLX) average residual concentrations within two days were 2.02, 6.07 and 14.84 mg/L, and the average removal efficiency of NFLX was 79.8 %, 69.6 % and 62.9 % at the initial antibiotic concentrations of 10, 20 and 40 mg/L, respectively. The most prevalent resistance gene type in all processes was the fluoroquinolone antibiotic gene. Furthermore, Proteobacteria was the dominant ARG-carrying bacteria. Overall, this study can provide theoretical support for the efficient treatment of high antibiotics-contained wastewater by bio-electro-Fenton systems to better control ARGs from the perspective of ecological security.202236252757
759050.9998Characteristics, Performance and Microbial Response of Aerobic Granular Sludge for Treating Tetracycline Hypersaline Pharmaceutical Wastewater. Salt-tolerant aerobic granular sludge(AGS) was successfully cultivated under the dual stress of tetracycline and 2.5% salinity, resulting in an average particle size of 435.0 ± 0.5 and exhibiting a chemical oxygen demand(COD) removal rate exceeding 80%, as well as excellent sedimentation performance. The analysis of metagenomics technology revealed a significant pattern of succession in the development of AGS. The proportion of Oleiagrimonas, a type of salt-tolerant bacteria, exhibited a gradual increase and reached 38.07% after 42 days, which indicated that an AGS system based on moderate halophilic bacteria was successfully constructed. The expression levels of targeted genes were found to be reduced across the entire AGS process and formation, as evidenced by qPCR analysis. The presence of int1 (7.67 log10 gene copies g(-1) in 0 d sludge sample) enabled microbes to horizontally transfer ARGs genes along the AGS formation under the double pressure of TC and 2.5% salinity. These findings will enhance our understanding of ARG profiles and the development in AGS under tetracycline pressure, providing a foundation for guiding the use of AGS to treat hypersaline pharmaceutical wastewater.202438930555
796060.9998Diversity evolution of functional bacteria and resistance genes (CzcA) in aerobic activated sludge under Cd(II) stress. An activated sludge sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was used to treat divalent cadmium (Cd(II)) wastewater for 60 d to investigate the overall treatment performance, evolution of the bacterial community, and abundance of the Cd(II) resistance gene CzcA and shifts in its potential host bacteria. During stable operation with a Cd(II) concentration of 20 mg/L, the average removal efficiencies of Cd(II) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were more than 85% and that of total phosphorus was greater than 70%, while the total nitrogen (TN) was only about 45%. The protein (PN) content in the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) increased significantly after Cd(II) addition, while polysaccharides displayed a decreasing trend (p < 0.05), indicating that EPS prefer to release PN to adsorb Cd(II) and protect bacteria from damage. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectral analysis showed that fulvic acid-like substances were the most abundant chemical components of EPS. The addition of Cd(II) adversely affected most denitrifying bacteria (p < 0.05), which is consistent with the low TN removal. In addition, quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that CzcA gene abundance decreased as the Cd(II) concentration increased, possibly because expression of the CzcA gene was inhibited by Cd(II) stress. The majority of CzcA gene sequences were carried by Pseudomonas, making it the dominant genus among Cd(II)-resistant bacteria.201931514000
808470.9998Metagenomic insights into effects of carbon/nitrogen ratio on microbial community and antibiotic resistance in moving bed biofilm reactor. This study investigated the effects of carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio on microbial community in moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) using metagenomic analysis, and the dynamic changes of relevant antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were also analyzed. The results showed that under low C/N ratio, MBBR exhibited average removal rates of 98.41 % for ammonia nitrogen and 75.79 % for total nitrogen. Metagenomic analysis showed low C/N ratio altered the structure of biofilm and water microbiota, resulting in the detachment of bacteria such as Actinobacteria from biofilm into water. Furthermore, sulfamethazine (SMZ)-resistant bacteria and related ARGs were released into water under low C/N ratio, which lead to the increase of SMZ resistance rate to 90%. Moreover, most dominant genera are potential hosts for both nitrogen cycle related genes and ARGs. Specifically, Nitrosomonas that carried gene sul2 might be released from biofilm into water. These findings implied the risks of antibiotic resistance dissemination in MBBR under low C/N ratio.202438901747
758580.9998Impacts of engineered nanoparticles and antibiotics on denitrification: Element cycling functional genes and antibiotic resistance genes. The wide presence of antibiotics and minerals warrants their combined effects on the denitrification in natural aquatic environment. Herein, we investigated the effects of two antibiotics, sulfamethazine (SMZ) and chlortetracycline (CTC), on the reduction of NO(3)(-)-N and accumulation of NO(2)(-)-N in the absence and presence of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) (Al(2)O(3), SiO(2), and geothite) using 16 S rRNA sequencing and high-throughput quantitative PCR. The results showed that the addition of antibiotics inhibited the reduction of NO(3)(-)-N by changing the bacterial community structure and reducing the abundance of denitrification genes, while engineered NPs promoted the denitrification by increasing the abundance of denitrification genes. In the binary systems, engineered NPs alleviated the inhibitory effect of antibiotics through enriching the denitrification genes and adsorbing antibiotics. Antibiotics and its combination with engineered NPs changed the composition of functional genes related to C, N, P, S metabolisms (p < 0.01). The addition of antibiotics and/or engineered NPs altered the bacterial community structure, which is dominated by the genera of Enterobacter (40.7-90.5%), Bacillus (4.9-58.5%), and Pseudomonas (0.21-12.7%). The significant relationship between denitrification, carbon metabolism genes, and antibiotic resistance genes revealed that the heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria may host the antibiotic resistance genes and denitrification genes simultaneously. The findings underscore the significance of engineered NPs in the toxicity assessment of pollutants, and provide a more realistic insight into the toxicity of antibiotics in the natural aquatic environment.202235738104
800290.9998Selective effect and elimination of antibiotics in membrane bioreactor of urban wastewater treatment plant. Analyzing the temporal dynamics of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and the functional community could contribute to the regulation and optimization of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operation to achieve better antibiotics and ARGs removal performances during different seasons. However, there is little research in this area. Therefore, in this study, samples were collected from the influent, activated sludge (AS), and permeate of the membrane bioreactor (MBR) in a WWTP located in Beijing, China, biweekly over 13 months, and then analyzed systematically. The removal efficiency for all detected antibiotics through biodegradation and adsorption was 59.25 ± 2.79%, with the highest rate of 64.79 ± 4.68% observed in summer, indicating that the higher temperature in summer may promote biodegradation in MBR. In contrast, the elimination of antibiotics through microfiltration was negligible and unfavorable, with negative overall removal rates. However, a positive rejection rate of 9.48 ± 8.92% was only observed in winter, indicating that a colder temperature might lead to better, but still limited, antibiotics rejection. Sulfonamides (SAs) were more likely to impose a selective pressure on their corresponding ARGs. However, due to the degradability of tetracyclines (TCs) and potential selection of ARGs in wastewater before entering WWTP, there were still TC resistances with non-detectable TCs. Significantly negative relationships were observed between the relative abundance of nitrifying bacteria (Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira) and the concentrations of certain antibiotic classes, indicating that nitrifying bacteria could be involved in the co-metabolic biodegradation of certain antibiotics through enzyme catalyzation during nitrification.201930235615
7959100.9998Evolution of microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes in anammox process stressed by oxytetracycline and copper. The individual and combined impacts of copper ion (Cu(2+)) and oxytetracycline (OTC) on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) performance and its self-recovery process were examined. Experimental results showed that the anammox performance and activity of anammox bacteria were inhibited by 1.0 mg L(-1) OTC, Cu(2+) and OTC + Cu(2+), and both single and combined inhibitions were reversible. The abundance of functional genes and parts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were positively related to the dominant bacterium Ca. Kuenenia, implying that the recovery of the performance was associated with the progressive induction of potentially resistant species after inhibition. The above outcomes illustrated that anammox bacteria were stressed by metals and antibiotics, but they still could remove nitrogen at a rate higher than 20.6 ± 0.8 kg N m(-3) d(-1), providing guidance for engineering applications of anammox processes.202132949830
7961110.9998Effect of tetracycline on ammonia and carbon removal by the facultative bacteria in the anaerobic digester of a sewage treatment plant. This study was conducted to see the effect of tetracycline on nitrogen assimilation and carbon removal in an anaerobic digester of a sewage plant. Samples of sewage were collected from an anaerobic digester sludge. Consortium of nitrogen assimilating bacteria were isolated from the sample and its ability to assimilate ammonia at different concentrations of tetracycline was measured along with carbon removal. The results indicate that while high concentrations of tetracycline of more than 100 mg/L delayed the growth of the bacteria, the resistant bacteria grew after a lag period and the removal of nitrogen and carbon was unaffected even at the highest tetracycline concentration of 250 mg/L tested in this study.201830025323
8071120.9998Impact of ciprofloxacin and copper combined pollution on activated sludge: Abundant-rare taxa and antibiotic resistance genes. This study aimed to explore the impacts of ciprofloxacin (CIP, 0.05-40 mg/L) and copper (3 mg/L) combined pollution on nitrification, microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in activated sludge system during stress- and post-effect periods. Higher CIP concentration inhibited nitrification and an average of 50% total nitrogen removal occurred under 40 mg/L of CIP pressure. The stress- and post-effects on bacterial diversity and structure were obviously distinct. Abundant genera were more sensitive to combined pollution than rare genera based on full-scale classification and conditionally rare or abundant taxa were keystone taxa in their interactions. Ammonia oxidation genes were inhibited under high CIP level, but some aerobic denitrifying bacteria (Thauera, Comamonas and Azoarcus) and key genes increased. 96 ARG subtypes were detected with complex positive relationships and their potential hosts (abundant-rare-functional genera) changed in two periods. This study highlights the different stress- and post-effects of combined pollution on activated sludge.202235217161
8006130.9998Removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater effluent by UV-activated persulfate. The emerging antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are increasingly appreciated to be as important as microbial contaminants. This paper focused on UV-activated persulfate (UV/PS), an advanced oxidation process, in removing ARB and ARGs from secondary wastewater effluent. Results showed that the inactivation efficiency of macrolides-resistant bacteria (MRB), sulfonamides-resistant bacteria (SRB), tetracyclines-resistant bacteria (TRB) and quinolones-resistant bacteria (QRB) by UV/PS reached 96.6 %, 94.7 %, 98.0 % and 99.9 % in 10 min, respectively. UV/PS also showed significant removal efficiency on ARGs. The reduction of total ARGs reached 3.84 orders of magnitude in UV/PS which is more than that in UV by 0.56 log. Particularly, the removal of mobile genetic elements (MGE) which might favor the horizontal gene transfer of ARGs among different microbial achieved 76.09 % by UV/PS. High-throughput sequencing revealed that UV/PS changed the microbial community. The proportions of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria that pose human health risks were 4.25 % and 1.6 % less than UV, respectively. Co-occurrence analyzes indicated that ARGs were differentially contributed by bacterial taxa. In UV/PS system, hydroxyl radical and sulfate radical contributed to the removal of bacteria and ARGs. Our study provided a new method of UV/PS to remove ARGs and ARB for wastewater treatment.202031954307
8038140.9998Hydroxyl radicals dominated the reduction of antibiotic resistance genes by inactivating Gram-negative bacteria during soil electrokinetic treatment. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging contaminants that widely exist in the environment. Effective reduction of ARB and ARGs from soil and water could be achieved by electrokinetic remediation (EKR) technology. In water, hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are proved to play a major role in the EKR process; while the reduction mechanism of ARB and ARGs is still unclear in soil. In this study, different concentrations of hydroxyl radical scavengers (salicylic acid) were added to the EKR system to explore the possible role of ·OH in the reduction of ARB and ARGs. The results showed that generally, ·OH played a more vital role in the reduction of ARB (65.24-72.46%) compared to the reduction of total cultivable bacteria (57.50%). And ·OH contributed to a higher reduction of sul genes (60.94%) compared to tet genes (47.71%) and integrons (36.02%). It was found that the abundance of Gram-negative bacteria (Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and norank_c_Acidobacteria) was significantly reduced, and the correlation between norank_f_Gemmatimonadaceae and sul1 was weakened in the presence of ·OH. Correlation analysis indicated that the abundance of ARGs (especially sul1) was closely related to the Gram-negative bacteria (Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes) in the soil EKR treatment. Moreover, changes in bacterial community structure affected the abundance of ARB and ARGs indirectly. Overall, this study revealed the reduction mechanism of ARB and ARGs by ·OH in the soil EKR system for the first time. These findings provide valuable support for soil remediation efforts focusing on controlling antibiotic resistance.202439312876
7580150.9998Inactivation of antibiotic resistance genes in antibiotic fermentation residues by ionizing radiation: Exploring the development of recycling economy in antibiotic pharmaceutical factory. Antibiotic fermentation residues are a kind of hazardous waste due to the existence of the residual antibiotics and the potential risk to generate antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs). The appropriate treatment and disposal of antibiotic fermentation residues is imperative. In this study ionizing radiation was applied to treat the antibiotic fermentation residues and the removal efficiencies of antibiotic (erythromycin), ARGs (ermB and ermF) and antibiotic resistant bacteria were investigated. The experimental results showed that erythromycin A content in antibiotic fermentation residues decreased by 86% when the dose was 10 kGy. Moreover, the abundance of ermB and ermF reduced by 89% and 98% at 10 kGy irradiation. Over 99% of total bacteria was removed and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) were less than detection limit after 10 kGy irradiation. Ionizing radiation process is a promising technology for simultaneously removing antibiotic and inactivating ARGs and ARB in antibiotic fermentation residues. Moreover, the irradiation at 10 kGy had no significant influence on the macromolecules organic matters (protein, polysaccharides) of the antibiotic fermentation residues, suggesting that the treated fermentative residues can be used as fertilizer, which could provide the technical support for the development of recycling economy in antibiotic pharmaceutical factory.201930691886
8093160.9998Acidic conditions enhance the removal of sulfonamide antibiotics and antibiotic resistance determinants in swine manure. Manure pH may vary depending on its inherent composition or additive contents. However, the effect of pH on the fate of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance determinants in manure remains unclear. This work demonstrated that pH adjustment promoted the removal of different sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) within swine manure under incubation conditions, which increased from 26-60.8% to 75.0-86.0% by adjusting the initial pH from neutral (7.4) to acidic (5.4-4.8). Acidification was also demonstrated to inhibit the accumulation of antibiotic resistance genes in manure during incubation. Acidified manure contained both lower absolute and relative abundances of sul1 and sul2 than those at a neutral pH like 7.4. Further investigation indicated that acidification promoted the reduction of sul genes in manure by restricting sulfonamide-resistant bacteria (SRB) proliferation and inhibiting IntI1 accumulation. Furthermore, pH adjustment significantly influenced the composition of the manure bacterial community after incubation, which increased Firmicutes and decreased Proteobacteria. Close relationships were observed between pH-induced enrichment of the Firmicutes bacterial phylum, enhanced SAs degradation, and the fates of antibiotic resistance determinants. Overall, lowering the pH of manure promotes the degradation of SAs, decreases sul genes and SRB, and inhibits horizontal sul gene transfer, which could be a simple yet highly-effective manure management option to reduce antibiotic resistance.202032302890
7193170.9998Plasmid-mediated transfer of antibiotic resistance genes and biofilm formation in a simulated drinking water distribution system under chlorine pressure. The effects of disinfectants and plasmid-based antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) on the growth of microorganisms and the plasmid-mediated transfer of ARGs in the water and biofilm of the drinking water distribution system under simulated conditions were explored. The heterotrophic plate count of the water in reactors with 0.1 mg/L NaClO and NH(2)Cl was higher than in the control groups. There was no similar phenomenon in biofilm. In the water of reactors containing NaClO, the aphA and bla genes were lower than in the antibiotic resistant bacteria group, while both genes were higher in the water of reactors with NH(2)Cl than in the control group. Chloramine may promote the transfer of ARGs in the water phase. Both genes in the biofilm of the reactors containing chlorine were lower than the control group. Correlation analysis between ARGs and water quality parameters revealed that the copy numbers of the aphA gene were significantly positively correlated with the copy numbers of the bla gene in water and significantly negatively correlated in biofilm (p < 0.05). The results of the sequencing assay showed that bacteria in the biofilm, in the presence of disinfectant, were primarily Gram-negative. 1.0 mg/L chlorine decreased the diversity of the community in the biofilm. The relative abundance of some bacteria that may undergo transfer increased in the biofilm of the reactor containing 0.1 mg/L chlorine.202539617560
8044180.9998Effect of tetracycline on nitrogen removal in Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) System. The effect of tetracycline (TC) on nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment plants has become a new problem. This study investigated the effects of TC on nitrogen removal using a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor system. The results showed that there was no significant effect on nitrogen removal performance when the concentration of TC was 5 mg/L, and that the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency could reach 75-77%. However, when the concentration of TC increased to 10 mg/L, the denitrification performance was affected and the TN removal efficiency decreased to 58%. The abundance of denitrifying bacteria such as those in the genus Thauera decreased, and TC-resistant bacteria gradually became dominant. At a TC concentration of 10 mg/L, there were also increases and decreases, respectively, in the abundance of resistance and denitrification functional genes. The inhibitory effect of TC on denitrification was achieved mainly by the inhibition of nitrite-reducing bacteria.202235007308
7964190.9998Fate of sulfonamide resistance genes during sludge anaerobic fermentation: Roles of sludge components and fermentation pHs. This study assessed potential effects of two neglected factors (sludge components and pH values) on the fate of sulfonamide (sul) resistance genes during sludge anaerobic fermentation. It was found that sludge with different contents of protein, carbohydrate and humic acid caused no significant changes in the abundances of sul genes. Nevertheless, sul genes were sensitive to pHs (4-10), and the maximum attenuations (0.8-1.1 log unit) were obtained at pH 10. Mechanism exploration indicated that pHs drove the community evolution of sulfonamide resistant bacteria (SRB), most of which were affiliated to the pH-enriched phyla but not the pH-enriched dominant genera. In addition, the relative abundances of SRB were decreased under both acidic and alkaline conditions. Furthermore, the abundances of intI 1 as well as the sul-carrying abilities of plasmid and extracellular DNA were all reduced at test pHs, indicating that the potential of horizontal gene transfer among bacteria was restricted.201931226672