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Sun S, Sun Y, Geng J, Geng L, Meng F, Wang Q, Qi H. Machine learning reveals the selection pressure exerted by nonantibiotic pharmaceuticals at environmentally relevant concentrations on antibiotic resistance genotypes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 357:120829. [PMID: 38579474 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The emergence and increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance pose a global public risk for human health, and nonantimicrobial pharmaceuticals play an important role in this process. Herein, five nonantimicrobial pharmaceuticals, including acetaminophen (ACT), clofibric acid (CA), carbamazepine (CBZ), caffeine (CF) and nicotine (NCT), tetracycline-resistant strains, five ARGs (sul1, sul2, tetG, tetM and tetW) and one integrase gene (intI1), were detected in 101 wastewater samples during two typical sewage treatment processes including anaerobic-oxic (A/O) and biological aerated filter (BAF) in Harbin, China. The impact of nonantibiotic pharmaceuticals at environmentally relevant concentrations on both the resistance genotypes and resistance phenotypes were explored. The results showed that a significant impact of nonantibiotic pharmaceuticals at environmentally relevant concentrations on tetracycline resistance genes encoding ribosomal protection proteins (RPPs) was found, while no changes in antibiotic phenotypes, such as minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), were observed. Machine learning was applied to further sort out the contribution of nonantibiotic pharmaceuticals at environmentally relevant concentrations to different ARG subtypes. The highest contribution and correlation were found at concentrations of 1400-1800 ng/L for NCT, 900-1500 ng/L for ACT and 7000-10,000 ng/L for CF for tetracycline resistance genes encoding RPPs, while no significant correlation was found between the target compounds and ARGs when their concentrations were lower than 500 ng/L for NCT, 100 ng/L for ACT and 1000 ng/L for CF, which were higher than the concentrations detected in effluent samples. Therefore, the removal of nonantibiotic pharmaceuticals in WWTPs can reduce their selection pressure for resistance genes in wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojing Sun
- College of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei Key Laboratory of Air Pollution Cause and Impact, Hebei Engineering Research Center of Sewage Treatment and Resource Utilization, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Yan Sun
- College of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei Key Laboratory of Air Pollution Cause and Impact, Hebei Engineering Research Center of Sewage Treatment and Resource Utilization, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Jialu Geng
- Ecological Environmental Monitoring Centre of Hinggan League, Hinggan League, 137400, China
| | - Linlin Geng
- College of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei Key Laboratory of Air Pollution Cause and Impact, Hebei Engineering Research Center of Sewage Treatment and Resource Utilization, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Fan Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Qing Wang
- College of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei Key Laboratory of Air Pollution Cause and Impact, Hebei Engineering Research Center of Sewage Treatment and Resource Utilization, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Hong Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
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Shi B, Zhao R, Su G, Liu B, Liu W, Xu J, Li Q, Meng J. Metagenomic surveillance of antibiotic resistome in influent and effluent of wastewater treatment plants located on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:162031. [PMID: 36740063 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
As hotspots for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have attracted global attention. However, there lacks a sufficient metagenomic surveillance of antibiotic resistome in the WWTPs located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Here, metagenomic approaches were used to comprehensively investigate the occurrence, mobility potential, and bacterial hosts of ARGs in influent and effluent of 18 WWTPs located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The total ARG relative abundances and diversity were significantly decreased from influent to effluent across the WWTPs. Multidrug, bacitracin, sulfonamide, aminoglycoside, and beta-lactam ARGs generally consisted of the main ARG types in effluent samples, which were distinct from influent samples. A group of 72 core ARGs accounting for 61.8-95.8 % of the total ARG abundances were shared by all samples. Clinically relevant ARGs mainly conferring resistance to beta-lactams were detected in influent (277 ARGs) and effluent (178 ARGs). Metagenomic assembly revealed that the genetic location of an ARG on a plasmid or a chromosome was related to its corresponding ARG type, demonstrating the distinction in the mobility potential of different ARG types. The abundance of plasmid-mediated ARGs accounted for a much higher proportion than that of chromosome-mediated ARGs in both influent and effluent. Moreover, the ARGs co-occurring with diverse mobile genetic elements in the effluent exhibited a comparable mobility potential with the influent. Furthermore, 137 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) assigned to 13 bacterial phyla were identified as the ARG hosts, which could be effectively treated in most WWTPs. Notably, 46 MAGs were found to carry multiple ARG types and the potential pathogens frequently exhibited multi-antibiotic resistance. Some ARG types tended to be carried by certain bacteria, showing a specific host-resistance association pattern. This study highlights the necessity for metagenomic surveillance and will facilitate risk assessment and control of antibiotic resistome in WWTPs located on the vulnerable area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Shi
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology and Health Effects Research, Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Renxin Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
| | - Guijin Su
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology and Health Effects Research, Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bingyue Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Wenxiu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Center for Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Research, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Ecological Effect and Risk Assessment of Chemicals, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Jian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Center for Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Research, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Ecological Effect and Risk Assessment of Chemicals, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology and Health Effects Research, Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Meng
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Nanotechnology and Health Effects Research, Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Rohrer SD, Jiménez-Uzcátegui G, Parker PG, Chubiz LM. Composition and function of the Galapagos penguin gut microbiome vary with age, location, and a putative bacterial pathogen. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5358. [PMID: 37005428 PMCID: PMC10067942 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31826-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial colonization plays a direct role in host health. Understanding the ecology of the resident microbial community for a given host species is thus an important step for detecting population vulnerabilities like disease. However, the idea of integrating microbiome research into conservation is still relatively new, and wild birds have received less attention in this field than mammals or domesticated animals. Here we examine the composition and function of the gut microbiome of the endangered Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) with the goals of characterizing the normal microbial community and resistome, identifying likely pathogens, and testing hypotheses of structuring forces for this community based on demographics, location, and infection status. We collected fecal samples from wild penguins in 2018 and performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing and whole genome sequencing (WGS) on extracted DNA. 16S sequencing revealed that the bacterial phyla Fusobacteria, Epsilonbacteraeota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria dominate the community. Functional pathways were computed from WGS data, showing genetic functional potential primarily focused on metabolism-amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and energy metabolism are the most well-represented functional groups. WGS samples were each screened for antimicrobial resistance, characterizing a resistome made up of nine antibiotic resistance genes. Samples were screened for potential enteric pathogens using virulence factors as indicators; Clostridium perfringens was revealed as a likely pathogen. Overall, three factors appear to be shaping the alpha and beta diversity of the microbial community: penguin developmental stage, sampling location, and C. perfringens. We found that juvenile penguins have significantly lower alpha diversity than adults based on three metrics, as well as significantly different beta diversity. Location effects are minimal, but one site has significantly lower Shannon diversity than the other primary sites. Finally, when samples were grouped by C. perfringens virulence factors, we found dramatic changes in beta diversity based on operational taxonomic units, protein families, and functional pathways. This study provides a baseline microbiome for an endangered species, implicates both penguin age and the presence of a potential bacterial pathogen as primary factors associated with microbial community variance, and reveals widespread antibiotic resistance genes across the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sage D Rohrer
- Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA.
| | | | - Patricia G Parker
- Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA
- WildCare Institute, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Lon M Chubiz
- Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63121, USA
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Mosaka TBM, Unuofin JO, Daramola MO, Tizaoui C, Iwarere SA. Inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes in wastewater streams: Current challenges and future perspectives. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1100102. [PMID: 36733776 PMCID: PMC9888414 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1100102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of antibiotics, which was once regarded as a timely medical intervention now leaves a bitter aftertaste: antimicrobial resistance (AMR), due to the unregulated use of these compounds and the poor management receiving wastewaters before discharge into pristine environments or the recycling of such treated waters. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been regarded a central sink for the mostly unmetabolized or partially metabolised antibiotics and is also pivotal to the incidence of antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARBs) and their resistance genes (ARGs), which consistently contribute to the global disease burden and deteriorating prophylaxis. In this regard, we highlighted WWTP-antibiotics consumption-ARBs-ARGs nexus, which might be critical to understanding the epidemiology of AMR and also guide the precise prevention and remediation of such occurrences. We also discovered the unsophistication of conventional WWTPs and treatment techniques for adequate treatment of antibiotics, ARBs and ARGs, due to their lack of compliance with environmental sustainability, then ultimately assessed the prospects of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). Herein, we observed that CAP technologies not only has the capability to disinfect wastewater polluted with copious amounts of chemicals and biologicals, but also have a potential to augment bioelectricity generation, when integrated into bio electrochemical modules, which future WWTPs should be retrofitted to accommodate. Therefore, further research should be conducted to unveil more of the unknowns, which only a snippet has been highlighted in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thabang B. M. Mosaka
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - John O. Unuofin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michael O. Daramola
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Chedly Tizaoui
- Water and Resources Recovery Research Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel A. Iwarere
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa,*Correspondence: Samuel A. Iwarere, ✉
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Okoye CO, Nyaruaba R, Ita RE, Okon SU, Addey CI, Ebido CC, Opabunmi AO, Okeke ES, Chukwudozie KI. Antibiotic resistance in the aquatic environment: Analytical techniques and interactive impact of emerging contaminants. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 96:103995. [PMID: 36210048 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.103995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic pollution is becoming an increasingly severe threat globally. Antibiotics have emerged as a new class of environmental pollutants due to their expanding usage and indiscriminate application in animal husbandry as growth boosters. Contamination of aquatic ecosystems by antibiotics can have a variety of negative impacts on the microbial flora of these water bodies, as well as lead to the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant genes. Various strategies for removing antibiotics from aqueous systems and environments have been developed. Many of these approaches, however, are constrained by their high operating costs and the generation of secondary pollutants. This review aims to summarize research on the distribution and effects of antibiotics in aquatic environments, their interaction with other emerging contaminants, and their remediation strategy. The ecological risks associated with antibiotics in aquatic ecosystems and the need for more effective monitoring and detection system are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Obinwanne Okoye
- Biofuels Institute, School of Environment & Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, PR China; Department of Zoology & Environmental Biology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; Organization of African Academic Doctor, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Raphael Nyaruaba
- Center for Biosafety Megascience, Wuhan Institute of Virology, CAS, Wuhan, PR China; Organization of African Academic Doctor, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Richard Ekeng Ita
- Department of Biological Sciences Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria; Organization of African Academic Doctor, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Samuel Ukpong Okon
- Department of Marine Science, Akwa Ibom State University, Mkpat Enin, P.M.B. 1167, Nigeria; Department of Ocean Engineering, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, PR China; Organization of African Academic Doctor, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Charles Izuma Addey
- College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, PR China; Organization of African Academic Doctor, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Chike C Ebido
- Department of Zoology & Environmental Biology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; Organization of African Academic Doctor, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Emmanuel Sunday Okeke
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences & Natural Science Unit, School of General Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State 410001, Nigeria; Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, 212013, PR China; Organization of African Academic Doctor, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Kingsley Ikechukwu Chukwudozie
- Department of Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State 410001, Nigeria; Organization of African Academic Doctor, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University 212013, PR China.
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Buroni S, Chiarelli LR. Antibiotics' Sustainability: Another Issue in the Fight against Antimicrobial Resistance. Curr Top Med Chem 2022; 22:1979-1981. [PMID: 35578852 DOI: 10.2174/1568026622666220516114647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is still a major threat to global health that is likely to worsen also as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, there is an urgent need to develop new compounds and novel alternative treatments. Furthermore, the new lines of action must consider the issue of antibiotics' sustainability. Within this persrective, we have highlighted the main points on which actions in this perspective are possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Buroni
- Department of Biology & Biotechnology 'Lazzaro Spallanzani', University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Laurent R Chiarelli
- Department of Biology & Biotechnology 'Lazzaro Spallanzani', University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Abstract
METHs are drugs that enter wastewater through the feces and urine of users. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are not capable of removing this type of emerging contaminant, but, in recent years, techniques have been developed to abate drugs of abuse. The present investigation focused on obtaining the technique that keeps the best balance between the comparison criteria considered: efficiency; costs; development stage; and waste generation. That is why a bibliographic review was carried out in the scientific databases of the last eight years, concluding that the six most popular techniques are: SBR, Fenton reaction, mixed-flow bioreactor, ozonation, photocatalysis, and UV disinfection. Subsequently, the Saaty and Modified Saaty methods were applied, obtaining a polynomial equation containing the four comparison criteria for the evaluation of the techniques. It is concluded that the UV disinfection method is the one with the best relationship between the analyzed criteria, reaching a score of 0.8591/1, followed by the Fenton method with a score of 0.6925/1. This research work constitutes a practical and easy-to-use tool for decision-makers, since it allows finding an optimal treatment for the abatement of METHs.
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