Fate of antibiotic resistance genes and its drivers during anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge based on microwave pretreatment

Determinants of antimicrobial resistance in biosolids: A systematic review, database, and meta-analysis

Biosolids can provide a nutrient rich soil amendment, particularly for poor soils and semi-arid or drought-prone areas. However, there are concerns that sludge and biosolids could be a source of propagation and exposure to AMR determinants such as antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). To inform risk assessment efforts, a systematic literature review was performed to build a comprehensive spreadsheet database of ARB and ARG concentrations in biosolids (and some sludges specified as intended for land application), along with 69 other quantitative and qualitative meta-data fields from 68 published studies describing sampling information and processing methods that can be used for modeling purposes. Mean ARG concentrations per gram in positive samples of biosolids ranged from -5.7 log10(gene copies [gc]/g) to 12.92 log10(gc/g) (with these range values reported per dry weight), and aqueous concentrations ranged from 0.9 log10(gc/L) to 14.6 log10(gc/L). Mean ARB concentrations per gram of biosolids ranged from 2.02 log10 (colony forming units [CFU]/g) to 9.00 log10 (CFU/g) (dry weight), and aqueous concentrations ranged from 3.23 log10 (CFU/L) to 12.0 log10 (CFU/L). ARG log removal values (LRVs) during sewage sludge stabilization were calculated from a meta-analysis of mean concentrations before and after stabilization from 31 studies, ranging from -2.05 to 5.52 logs. The classes of resistance most relevant for a risk assessment corresponded to sulfonamide (sul1 and sul2), tetracycline (tetZ, tetX, tetA and tetG), beta-lactam (blaTEM), macrolide (ermB and ermF), aminoglycoside (strA and aac(6')-Ib-cr), and integron-associated (intI1). The resistance classes most relevant for ARB risk assessment included sulfonamides (sulfamethoxazole and sulfamethazine), cephalosporin (cephalothin and cefoxitin), penicillin (ampicillin), and ciprofloxin (ciprofloxacin). Considerations for exposure assessment are discussed to highlight risk assessment needs relating to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) associated with biosolids application. This study aids in prioritization of resources for reducing the spread of AMR within a One Health framework.

Occurrence of 40 sanitary indicators in French digestates derived from different anaerobic digestion processes and raw organic wastes from agricultural and urban origin

This study investigated the sanitary quality of digestates resulting from the mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) of urban and agricultural organic wastes (OWs). 40 sanitary indicators, including pathogenic bacteria, antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factor genes, and mobile genetic elements were evaluated using real-time PCR and/or droplet digital PCR. 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 13 pharmaceutical products (PHPs) were also measured. We assessed agricultural OWs from three treatment plants to study the effect of different AD processes (feeding mode, number of stages, pH), and used three laboratory-scale reactors to study the effect of different feed-supplies (inputs). The lab-scale reactors included: Lab1 fed with 97% activated sludge (urban waste) and 3% cow manure; Lab2 fed with 85% sludge-manure mixture supplemented with 15% wheat straw (WS); and Lab3 fed with 81% sludge-manure mixture, 15% WS, and 4% zeolite powder. Activated sludge favored the survival of the food-borne pathogens Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus, carrying the toxin-encoding genes cpe and ces, respectively. Globally, the reactors fed with fecal matter supplemented with straw (Lab2) or with straw and zeolite (Lab3) had a higher hygienization efficiency than the reactor fed uniquely with fecal matter (Lab1). Three pathogenic bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex), a beta-lactam resistance gene (bla TEM), and three mobile genetic elements (intI1, intI2, and IS26) were significantly decreased in Lab2 and Lab3. Moreover, the concentrations of 11 PAHs and 11 PHPs were significantly lower in Lab2 and Lab3 samples than in Lab1 samples. The high concentrations of micropollutants, such as triclosan, found in Lab1, could explain the lower hygienization efficiency of this reactor. Furthermore, the batch-fed reactor had a more efficient hygienization effect than the semi-continuous reactors, with complete removal of the ybtA gene, which is involved in the production of the siderophore yersiniabactin, and significant reduction of intI2 and tetO. These data suggest that it is essential to control the level of chemical pollutants in raw OWs to optimize the sanitary quality of digestates, and that adding co-substrate, such as WS, may overcome the harmful effect of pollutants.

The migration regularity and removal mechanism of antibiotic resistance genes during in situ enzymatic hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion of food waste

This study developed a high efficiency compound enzyme (fungal mash) produced in situ from food waste (FW) used for improving hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion (AD) efficiency of FW. Results showed that the soluble COD and methane yield were respectively increased by 67.80% and 16.58% after 24 h in situ enzymatic hydrolysis of food waste by fungal mash. Furthermore, most of target ARGs in FW were also reduced by 45-94% after 24 h in situ enzymatic hydrolysis, while the total tested ARGs and intI1 were respectively further removed by 44-55% and 21-73% in subsequent AD process. In-depth analysis showed that fungal mash could effectively reduce potential hosts and control the horizontal transfer of ARGs during the in situ enzymatic hydrolysis and AD process. Ultimately, correlation analysis and redundancy analysis indicated that the evolution of bacterial communities and changes in intI1 where the common driving forces for the fate of ARGs.

Insights into the Occurrence, Fate, Impacts, and Control of Food Additives in Food Waste Anaerobic Digestion: A Review

The recovery of biomass energy from food waste through anaerobic digestion as an alternative to fossil energy is of great significance for the development of environmental sustainability and the circular economy. However, a substantial number of food additives (e.g., salt, allicin, capsaicin, allyl isothiocyanate, monosodium glutamate, and nonnutritive sweeteners) are present in food waste, and their interactions with anaerobic digestion might affect energy recovery, which is typically overlooked. This work describes the current understanding of the occurrence and fate of food additives in anaerobic digestion of food waste. The biotransformation pathways of food additives during anaerobic digestion are well discussed. In addition, important discoveries in the effects and underlying mechanisms of food additives on anaerobic digestion are reviewed. The results showed that most of the food additives had negative effects on anaerobic digestion by deactivating functional enzymes, thus inhibiting methane production. By reviewing the response of microbial communities to food additives, we can further improve our understanding of the impact of food additives on anaerobic digestion. Intriguingly, the possibility that food additives may promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, and thus threaten ecology and public health, is highlighted. Furthermore, strategies for mitigating the effects of food additives on anaerobic digestion are outlined in terms of optimal operation conditions, effectiveness, and reaction mechanisms, among which chemical methods have been widely used and are effective in promoting the degradation of food additives and increasing methane production. This review aims to advance our understanding of the fate and impact of food additives in anaerobic digestion and to spark novel research ideas for optimizing anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste.

Effect of hydrochar on antibiotic-resistance genes and relevant mechanisms during chicken manure composting

The reduction of enhanced antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in compost is important to mitigate the risk of ARG transmission in agricultural production. Hydrochar is used in many applications as a functional carbon material with adsorption and catalytic properties. This study investigated the effects of hydrochar addition on bacterial communities, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and ARGs in chicken manure composting. The addition of 2%, 5%, and 10% hydrochar (dry weight) reduced the total numbers of target ARGs and MGEs in the compost products by 40.13-55.33% and 23.63-37.23%, respectively. Hydrochar changed the succession of the bacterial population during composting, lowering the abundance of potential pathogens and promoting microbial activity in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. A significant possible microbial host for ARGs was found to be Firmicutes. Hydrochar was found to affect the host microorganisms and MGEs directly by altering environmental factors that indirectly impacted the ARG profiles, as shown by partial least squares pathway modeling analysis. In conclusion, the addition of hydrochar to compost is a simple and effective method to promote the removal of ARGs.

Variations in antibiotic resistance genes and microbial community in sludges passing through biological nutrient removal and anaerobic digestion processes in municipal wastewater treatment plants

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a relentless, silent pandemic. Contributing to this are wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), a potential source of antibiotic resistance genes' (ARGs) transmission to the environment, threatening public health. The presence of ARGs in pathogenic bacteria and their release into the environment by WWTPs threatens the public health. The current study investigated changes in ARGs' abundance in biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes and anaerobic digestion (AD) reactors of two WWTPs. Also, microbial community structure, which is known to shape the distribution and abundance of ARGs, was also analyzed. The relative abundance of eight ARGs (tetX, tetA, tetM, TEM, sul1, sul2, ermB and qnrD) was quantified as ARGs' copies/16 S rRNA gene copies using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Microbial community composition was assessed by 16 S rRNA microbiome sequencing analysis. TetX was prevalent among the eight ARGs, followed by TEM and sul1. However, its abundance was decreased in the AD sludges compared to BNR sludges. Proteobacteria was the major bacterial phylum found in all the sludge samples, while Arcobacter, 12up and Acidovorax were the predominant genera. Acinetobacter and Flavobacterium were significantly more abundant in the BNR sludges, while 12up and Aeromonas were predominant in AD sludges. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a clear difference in dominant ARGs and bacteria between the sludges in the processes of BNR and AD of the two WWTPs. Clinically relevant bacterial genera, Klebsiella and Enterococcus, found in both the BNR and AD sludges, were significantly correlated with the tetX gene. Throughout this study, the relationship between microbial communities and specific ARGs was revealed, illustrating that the composition of the microbial community could play a vital role in the abundance of ARGs. These results will better inform future studies aimed at controlling the spread of ARGs and their potential hosts from WWTPs.

The Effect of Operating Strategies on the Anaerobic Digestion of Gentamicin Mycelial Residues: Insights into the Enhancement of Methane Production and Attenuation of Gentamicin Resistance

Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been widely employed for converting various biowastes into renewable energy. However, AD of gentamicin mycelial residues (GMRs, a byproduct of gentamicin production) is limited by ammonia inhibition and antimicrobial resistance risk. Compared to mesophilic AD (MMAD) of GMRs, this study looked into three semicontinuous AD processes, i.e., codigestion with wheat straw, thermophilic digestion (TAcoD), and AD at shortened retention time (RT). Results showed that a stable and safe AD could be achieved under suitable operating conditions. Co-digestion could effectively mitigate the adverse effect of ammonia inhibition. The methane production increased by 35.86% in TAcoD compared to that in MMAD and 43.99% of hazardous waste was reduced in TAcoD. Concerning the antimicrobial resistance of AD system, gentamicin was degraded efficiently and the degradation process was not involved in the expression of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) related to modifying enzyme. Effective removal of ARGs under three operating strategies was associated with a higher reduction in bacterial abundance of potential hosts. In addition, the changes in the relevant proteins for transformation and conjugation as predicted by PICRUSt suggested that thermophilic condition and shorter RT were conducive to the reduction of the dissemination risks of ARGs.

Distribution, sources, and potential risks of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment plant: A review

Irrational use of antibiotics produces a large number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) act as important sources and sinks of ARGs, and play an important role in their generation, treatment, and dissemination. This study summarizes the types, concentrations, and factors of ARGs in WWTPs, investigates the sources of ARGs in wastewater, compares the removal efficiencies of different treatment processes on ARGs, and analyzes the potential risks of ARGs accumulation in effluent, sludge and their emission into the air. The results show that the main ARGs detected in the influent of WWTPs are the genes resistant to macrolides (ermB, ermF), tetracyclines (tetW, tetA, tetC), sulfonamides (sul1, sul2), and β-lactams (bla_OXA, bla_TEM). The concentrations of ARGs in the influent of the WWTPs are 2.23 × 10²-3.90 × 10⁹ copies/mL. Wastewater quality and microbial community are the dominant factors that affect the distribution characteristics of ARGs. The accumulation of ARGs in effluent, sludge, and aerosols pose potential risks to the regional ecological environment and human health. Based on these results, research trends with respect to ARGs in WWTPs are also prospected.

An emerging unrated mobile reservoir for antibiotic resistant genes: Does transportation matter to the spread

The regional distribution of antibiotic resistance genes has been caused by the use and preference of antibiotics. Not only environmental factors, but also the population movement associated with transportation development might have had a great impact, but yet less is known regarding this issue. This research study has investigated and reported that the high-speed railway train was a possible mobile reservoir of bacteria with antibiotic resistance, based on the occurrence, diversity, and abundance of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and mobile gene elements (MGEs) in untreated train wastewater. High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing analyses have indicated that opportunistic pathogens like Pseudomonas and Enterococcuss were the predominant bacteria in all samples, especially in cultivable multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria. The further isolated Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium exhibited multi-antibiotic resistance ability, potentially being an indicator for disinfection proficiency. Positive correlations amongst ARGs and MGEs were observed, such as between intI1 and tetW, tetA, blaTEM, among Tn916/154 and mefA/F, qnrS, implying a broad dissemination of multi-ARGs during transportation. The study findings suggested that the high-speed railway train wastewater encompassed highly abundant antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and the wastewater discharge without effective treatment may pose severe hazards to human health and ecosystem safety.

Exploration of machine learning algorithms for predicting the changes in abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic digestion

The land application of digestate from anaerobic digestion (AD) is considered a significant route for transmitting antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) to ecosystems. To date, efforts towards understanding complex non-linear interactions between AD operating parameters with ARG/MGE abundances rely on experimental investigations due to a lack of mechanistic models. Herein, three different machine learning (ML) algorithms, Random Forest (RF), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), were compared for their predictive capacities in simulating ARG/MGE abundance changes during AD. The models were trained and cross-validated using experimental data collected from 33 published literature. The comparison of model performance using coefficients of determination (R²) and root mean squared errors (RMSE) indicated that ANN was more reliable than RF and XGBoost. The mode of operation (batch/semi-continuous), co-digestion of food waste and sewage sludge, and residence time were identified as the three most critical features in predicting ARG/MGE abundance changes. Moreover, the trained ANN model could simulate non-linear interactions between operational parameters and ARG/MGE abundance changes that could be interpreted intuitively based on existing knowledge. Overall, this study demonstrates that machine learning can enable a reliable predictive model that can provide a holistic optimization tool for mitigating the ARG/MGE transmission potential of AD.

Recent advances in conductive materials amended anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and municipal organic solid waste: Roles, mechanisms, and potential application

Recently, conductive materials (i.e., carbon-based and iron-based materials) as a feasible and attractive approach have been introduced to anaerobic co-digestion (ACoD) system for promoting its performance and stability through direct interspecies electron transfer. Owing to the key roles of conductive materials in ACoD process, it is imperative to gain a profound understanding of their specific functions and mechanisms. Here, this review critically examined the state of the art of conductive materials assisted ACoD of food waste and common municipal organic solid waste. Then, the fundamental roles of conductive materials on ACoD enhancement and the relevant mechanisms were discussed. Last, the perspectives for co-digestate treatment, reutilization, and disposal were summarized. Moreover, the main challenges to conductive materials amended ACoD in on-site application were proposed and the future remarks were put forward. Collectively, this review poses a scientific basis for the potential application of conductive materials in ACoD process in the future.

Insights into the fates of plasmids and antimicrobial resistance genes during swine manure treatment and related factors based on plasmidome and metagenome analyses

Swine manure treatment plants are important reservoirs of plasmid-harboring antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and physicochemical contaminants, but the changes in the abundances of plasmids and ARGs, and their interactions with the physicochemical properties of manure, are still unclear. Thus, in the present study, plasmidome and metagenome analyses were conducted for samples collected at different stages in the swine manure treatment process. The results indicated that anaerobic digestion and aerobic digestion were the most efficient stages for reducing the abundances of ARGs in swine manure. However, the plasmids associated with ARGs were not effectively removed in these stages. Through the whole treatment process, the IncL/M, IncQ1, IncHI2A, IncA/C, and IncN plasmid groups had strong correlations (r > 0.8, P < 0.01) with most ARG types, thereby indicating that these plasmids play important roles in the persistence of ARGs in this environment. Furthermore, the pH, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and four heavy metals (Cu, Zn, As, and Fe) significantly affected the abundances of seven ARG subtypes (tetB(P), ant(6)-Ia, tet44, aph(3'')-Ib, mefB, tet(L), and tet(39)). In particular, florfenicol had the most positive correlations with ARGs. Our results indicated that nutrients, heavy metals, and antibiotics all contributed to the presence and persistence of plasmid-harboring ARGs. This study provides insights into the fate of plasmids and ARGs, and related factors during the swine manure treatment process, thereby facilitating the development of a new treatment technique for removing ARGs and reducing the public health risk associated with livestock production.

Effects of composting on the fate of doxycycline, microbial community, and antibiotic resistance genes in swine manure and broiler manure

Aerobic composting is an economical and effective technology that is widely used to treat animal manure. To study the fate of doxycycline (DOX), the microbial community, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during composting, aerobic composting of broiler manure and swine manure was carried out under natural environmental conditions. Aerobic composting effectively removed DOX (with a removal rate > 97%) and most ARGs from animal manure. The microbial diversity and the numbers of ARGs were higher in composted swine manure compared with composted broiler manure. The microbial community structure changed during composting, and the dominant phyla of broiler manure and swine manure changed from Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, respectively. DOX changed the structure and relative abundance of the microbial community during composting, and the relative abundance of multidrug resistance genes and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) increased, which might lead to the risk of transmission of resistance in the environment. The C / N ratio, DOX concentration, Firmicutes, intl1, and intl2 were the key factors driving the change in ARGs during composting. These results help to reveal the effects of DOX on microbial communities, ARGs, and MGEs during composting and clarify the possible ways to reduce the risk of resistance gene transmission in the environment.

A critical review of process parameters influencing the fate of antibiotic resistance genes in the anaerobic digestion of organic waste

The overuse and inappropriate disposal of antibiotics raised severe public health risks worldwide. Specifically, the incomplete antibiotics metabolism in human and animal bodies contributes to the significant release of antibiotics into the natural ecosystems and the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria carrying antibiotic-resistant genes. Moreover, the organic feedstocks used for anaerobic digestion are often highly-rich in residual antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant genes. Hence, understanding their fate during anaerobic digestion has become a significant research focus recently. Previous studies demonstrated that various process parameters could considerably influence the propagation of the antibiotic-resistant genes during anaerobic digestion and their transmission via land application of digestate. This review article scrutinizes the influences of process parameters on antibiotic-resistant genes propagation in anaerobic digestion and the inherent fundamentals behind their effects. Based on the literature review, critical research gaps and challenges are summarized to guide the prospects for future studies.

Insights into structure and activity relationship of clinically mutated PER1 and PER2 class A β-lactamase enzymes

PER1 and PER2 are among the class A β-lactamase enzymes, which have evolved clinically to form antibiotic resistance and have significantly expanded their spectrum of activity. Hence, there is a need to study the clinical mutation responsible for such β-lactamase mediated antibiotic resistance. Alterations in catalytic centre and Ω-loop structure could be the cause of antibiotic resistance in these β-lactamase enzymes. Structural and functional alterations are caused due to mutations on or near the catalytic centre, which results in active site plasticity and are responsible for its expanded spectrum of activity in these class A β-lactamase enzymes. Multiple sequence alignment, structure, kinetic, molecular docking, MMGBSA and molecular dynamic simulation comparisons were done on 38 clinically mutated and wild class A β-lactamase enzymes. This work shows that PER1 and PER2 enzymes contains most unique mutations and have altered Ω-loop structure, which could be responsible for altering the structure-activity relationship and extending the spectrum of activity of these enzymes. Alterations in molecular docking, MMGBSA, kinetic values reveals the modification in the binding and activity of these clinically mutated enzymes with antibiotics. Further, the cause of these alterations can be revealed by active site interactions and H-bonding pattern of these enzymes with antibiotics. Met69Gln, Glu104Thr, Tyr105Trp, Met129His, Pro167Ala, Glu168Gln, Asn170His, Ile173Asp and Asp176Gln mutations were uniquely found in PER1 and PER2 enzymes. These mutations occurs at catalytic important residues and results in altered interactions with β-lactam antibiotics. Hence, these mutations could be responsible for altering the structure-activity of PER1 and PER2 enzymes.

Characteristics of antibiotic resistance genes in full-scale anaerobic digesters of food waste and the effects of application of biogas slurry on soil antibiotic resistance genes

The fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in full-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) of food waste (FW) and in the soil applied with biogas slurry has not been fully understood. In this study, 12 targeted ARGs and intI1 in FW, intermediate product, and biogas slurry from three full-scale AD were analyzed. The results showed that subcritical water pretreatment was an effective method for ARG attenuation, by which the absolute abundance of total targeted ARGs was removed by 99.69%. The predominant ARGs (ermB, tetM, and tetW) in FW were removed more than 99% after subcritical water pretreatment. The result of field experiments with biogas slurry as fertilizer showed that the absolute abundance of several ARGs (sul2, tetM, blaOXA-1, blaTEM) and intI1 accumulated significantly compared to the control group (CK) during three consecutive growth stages of the rice. The detected abundance of ARGs in paddy field soil increased from 190.50 (CK) to 8.87 × 10⁴ copies/g (wet weight) (soil) during tillering stage, and increased from 4102.65 (CK) to 4.38 × 10⁴ copies/g (wet weight) (soil) during heading time. Biogas slurry improved the soil nutrients (TN, AN, TP, and AP); meanwhile, the concentrations of total salt and Cl^- increased. Network analysis indicated that 28 genera were the possible hosts of ARGs; variation partitioning analysis (VPA) indicated that microbial communities (contribution 59.30%) were the main factors that affected the fate of ARGs and intI1.

Insight 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.

The fate and behavior mechanism of antibiotic resistance genes and microbial communities in anaerobic reactors treating oxytetracycline manufacturing wastewater

In this study, two parallel-operated expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactors, one used to treat oxytetracycline (OTC) manufacturing wastewater with gradual increase of OTC concentration as experimental reactor and the other fed with the same wastewater without OTC as control reactor, were operated to investigate the behavior of antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and their possible relationships with bacterial community among influent, sludge and effluent environments. Though the average absolute abundance of ARGs slightly decreased (0.26 - log), the ARGs' relative abundance normalized to 16S-rRNA gene copy numbers showed a significant upward trend in effluent (2 multiples - increase) and the absolute and relative abundances both extremely increased in anaerobic sludge, indicating that anaerobic treatment process cannot reduce ARGs efficiently, inversely can increase the risk of ARGs through the proliferation of antibiotics resistance bacteria (ARB) under the suppression of OTC. MGEs, bacterial communities and OTC concentration mainly impacted the ARGs profiles, which contributed 88.4% to the variation of ARGs. The differences and correlations of hosts in influent, effluent and sludge were further confirmed by network analysis. Overall, this study enhanced the understanding of the prevalence and transfer of ARGs in OTC production effluents during anaerobic treatment.

Mechanism of a double-channel nitrogen-doped lignin-based carbon on the highly selective removal of tetracycline from water

A high-performance nitrogen-doped lignin-based carbon material (ILAC-N) was synthesized using industrial lignin and urea by hydrothermal and activation, as an absorbent of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC). The results showed that the ILAC-N comprises a double-channeled structure with micro and mesopores. It exhibits an excellent adsorption capacity of TC across a wide pH range (pH 2-11), with the highest adsorption capacity of 1396 mg g^-1 at 323 K. Tests in actual wastewater showed that the TC removal rate by ILAC-N exceeded 97.4%. Moreover, it maintained a removal rate of 84% after 10 regeneration cycles, revealing its high reusability. Mechanisms suggested that pore filling and π-π interaction played a critical role in this process. In conclusion, ILAC-N can be broadly applied to livestock manure and pharmaceutical wastewater treatment, owing to its high adsorption capacity, good adsorption properties across a wide pH range, excellent reusability. Furthermore, this research opens a new path for lignin utilization.

Effects of mineral additives on antibiotic resistance genes and related mechanisms during chicken manure composting

In this study, two typical minerals (diatomite and bentonite) were applied during composting, and their influences on antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), intI1 and the bacterial communities were investigated. The relative abundance of total ARGs decreased by 53.72% and 59.54% in diatomite and bentonite addition compared with control on day 42. The minerals addition also reduced the relative abundance of intI1, as much as 41.41% and 59.81% in diatomite and bentonite treatments. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant candidate hosts of the major ARGs. There was a significant correlation between total ARGs and intI1 during the composting. Structural equation models further demonstrated that intI1 and antibiotics were the predominant direct factors responsible for ARG variations, and composting properties and bacterial community composition also shifted the variation of ARG profiles by influencing intI1. Overall, these findings suggest that diatomite and bentonite could decrease the potential proliferation of ARGs in chicken manure.

Effects of graphite, graphene, and graphene oxide on the anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste: Attention to methane production and the fate of antibiotic resistance genes

This study explored and compared the influence of graphite, graphene, and graphene oxide (GO) on the performance of anaerobic co-digestion fed with sewage sludge and food waste, the variations of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and the evolution of microbial community. Graphene exhibited the best performance for improving methane production and organic degradation, which increased by 36.09% and 23.07% compared with control group. The experimental results showed that graphene had the greatest influence on the removal efficiency of blaOXA-1, macrolide resistance genes (ermF and ermB), and some tetracycline resistance genes (tetQ and tetX); however, the removal efficiency of sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1 and sul2), intI1, and some tetracycline resistance genes (tetM, tetO, and tetW) were highest when GO was added. Network analysis indicated that the host cells of mefA, ermB, and tetO were different from other ARG host cells; moreover, graphene controlled the horizontal transfer of ARGs between microbial communities.

Effects of emerging pollutants on the occurrence and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes: A review

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have become major concerns for both public health and environmental ecosystems. Emerging pollutants (EPs) that accumulate in environmental compartments also pose a potential risk for the enrichment of ARGs in indigenous microorganisms. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the effects and intrinsic mechanisms of EPs, including microplastics, engineered nanomaterials, disinfection byproducts, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products, on the occurrence and dissemination of ARGs. State-of-the-art methods for identifying culture-independent ARG-host interactions and monitoring horizontal gene transfer (HGT) processes in real-time are first reviewed. The contributions of EPs to the abundance and diversity of ARGs are then summarized. Finally, we discussed the underlying mechanisms related to the regulation of HGT, increased mutagenesis, and the evolution of microbial communities. Further details of three HGT (i.e., conjugation, transformation, and transduction) frequency patterns in response to various EPs are also examined. This review contemplates and reassesses the risks of ARG evolution posed by the manufacture and application of EPs.

Mechanisms of metabolic performance enhancement and ARGs attenuation during nZVI-assisted anaerobic chloramphenicol wastewater treatment

Anaerobic wastewater treatment is a promising technology for refractory pollutant treatment. The nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) assisted anaerobic system could enhance contaminant removal. In this work, we added nZVI into an anaerobic system to investigate the effects on system performances and metabolic mechanism for chloramphenicol (CAP) wastewater treatment. As nZVI concentrations increased from 0 to 1 g/L, the CAP removal efficiency was appreciably improved from 46.5% to 99.2%, while the CH₄ production enhanced more than 20 times. The enhanced CAP removal resulted from the enrichments of dechlorination-related bacteria (Hyphomicrobium) and other functional bacteria (e.g., Zoogloea, Syntrophorhabdus) associated with refractory contaminants degradation. The improved CH₄ production was ascribed to the increases in fermentative-related bacteria (Smithella and Acetobacteroides), homoacetogen (Treponema), and methanogens. The increased abundances of anaerobic functional genes further verified the mechanism of CH₄ production. Furthermore, the abundances of potential hosts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were reduced under high nZVI concentration (1 g/L), contributing to ARGs attenuation. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the mechanism in metabolic performance enhancement and ARGs attenuation during nZVI-assisted anaerobic CAP wastewater treatment.

Proliferation of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and associated genes during composting: An overview of the potential impacts on public health, management and future

Antibiotic residues together with non-antibiotic drugs and heavy metals act as a selective pressure for the spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms (ARMs), antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) during composting of livestock manure. ARMs, ARGs and MGEs have become emerging contaminants since they are regularly implicated in the majority of compost produced from livestock manure. The prevalence of these contaminants in agricultural soil receiving compost has drawn huge attention globally due to the risks they pose to the total environment. Although a large body of literature exists on the application of composting methods in minimizing the relative abundance of these contaminants, there is a paucity of information on the robustness, limitations and opportunities and threats of various composting protocols currently deployed. To address this knowledge gap, the current review compiled literature on the origin and mechanisms of the proliferation of ARMs, ARGs, and MGEs during composting of livestock manure. The effectiveness of current composting protocols in the reduction or removal of emerging contaminants was evaluated. Furthermore, the potential environmental impacts and human health risks of these contaminants following land application of compost were also presented. Finally, we propose some strategic approaches for the reduction of ARGs and MGEs during composting of livestock manure.

Fate of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes during aerobic co-composting of food waste with sewage sludge

Aerobic composting is widely used on transforming organic solid waste into proliferating products. However, the removal of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the process of co-composting of food waste with sewage sludge has been rarely reported to date. Therefore, we investigated a laboratory-scale composting using food waste and sewage sludge as substrates to study changes in antibiotics and ARGs during composting. Varying dose of antibiotics were added to allow the evaluation of changes in antibiotics, the microbial community and ARGs. The results revealed that composting effectively removed fluoroquinolones and macrolides, while showed poor efficiency in removing sulfonamides. Results from the 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that Firmicutes dominated on D0, while Proteobacteria and Actinomycetes dominated on D28, and a high concentration of antibiotics affected the microbial succession. The quantitative PCR demonstrated that the abundance of sul3, sulA, qnrB, qnrS, and ermB was reduced after 28 days composting, while an increase in the abundance of sul1, sul2, qnrD, ermC, and ermF was induced by high concentrations of antibiotics. Redundancy analysis revealed that total organic matter was the most important factor for the variation in the ARGs abundance. Overall, our findings indicated that the aerobic co-composting of food waste with sewage sludge can effectively remove antibiotics and ARGs. Our study sheds a new idea light on the strategy for the removal of antibiotics and ARGs from organic solid waste.

Response of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes to tetracyclines and copper in substrate-free hydroponic microcosms with Myriophyllum aquaticum

Constructed wetlands for antibiotics and heavy metals removal have become important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and heavy metal resistance genes (MRGs), especially in the substrates. Here, substrate-free hydroponic microcosms of Myriophyllum aquaticum were established; tetracyclines (TCs) and Cu(II) were added to evaluate the behaviours of ARGs and MRGs in the microcosms. Several ARGs, MRGs, and mobile genetic elements (MGE) were detected in the biofilms attached to the plants, ranging from 0.5 to 2.3 × 10⁸ copies/g dry weight. ARGs and MRGs exhibited higher relative abundances in the effluent suspended solids (SS); however, their absolute amounts were much lower than those in conventionally constructed wetlands. Microcosms with TCs and Cu(II) exhibited a higher level of resistant genes than those with compound added singularly owing to co-selection pressure. The existence of TCs and copper significantly changed the microbial communities in the microcosms. The exogenous input of TC/Cu(II) and microbial community structure were the factors driving the occurrence of ARGs, whereas MRGs were more correlated with the copper addition. Thus, reducing the exogenous inputs of antibiotics /heavy metals and SS of the effluent is suggested for the mitigation of resistant genes in phytoremediation technologies working in the absence of conventional substrates.

Role of anaerobic sludge digestion in handling antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes - A review

Currently, anaerobic sludge digestion (ASD) is considered not only for treating residual sewage sludge and energy recovery but also for the reduction of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The current review highlights the reasons why antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and ARGs exist in ASD and how ASD performs in the reduction of ARB and ARGs. ARGs and ARB have been detected in ASD with some reports indicating some of the ARGs can be completely removed during the ASD process, while other studies reported the enrichment of ARB and ARGs after ASD. This paper reviews the performance of ASD based on operational parameters as well as environmental chemistry. More studies are needed to improve the performance of ASD in reducing ARGs that are difficult to handle and also differentiate between extracellular (eARGs) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) to achieve more accurate quantification of the ARGs.

Anaerobic co-digestion: Current status and perspectives

Anaerobic digestion is a long-established technology for the valorization of diverse organic wastes with concomitant generation of valuable resources. However, mono-digestion (i.e., anaerobic digestion using one feedstock) suffers from challenges associated with feedstock characteristics. Co-digestion using multiple feedstocks provides the potential to overcome these limitations. Significant research and development efforts have highlighted several inherent merits of co-digestion, including enhanced digestibility due to synergistic effects of co-substrates, better process stability, and higher nutrient value of the produced co-digestate. However, studies focused on the underlying effects of diverse co-feedstocks on digester performance and stability have not been synthesized so far. This review fills this gap by highlighting the limitations of mono-digestion and critically examining the benefits of co-digestion. Furthermore, this review discusses synergistic effect of co-substrates, characterization of microbial communities, the prediction of biogas production via different kinetic models, and highlights future research directions for the development of a sustainable biorefinery.

Improved reduction of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements from biowastes in dry anaerobic co-digestion

This study investigated the performance of anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of pig manure and food waste on the reduction of antibiotic resistomes under wet and dry AcoD conditions. High-throughput quantitative PCR technology was utilized for a comprehensive assessment of the performances of the two processes. The results show that dry AcoD with a total solids (TS) content of 20% effectively reduced total antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by 1.24 log copies/g wet sample, while only 0.54 log copies/g wet sample was reduced in wet AcoD with a TS content of 5%. Dry AcoD was more efficient in reduction of aminoglycosides, multidrug and sulfonamide resistance genes compared with the reduction of other classes of ARGs. Dry AcoD caused a significant reduction of ARGs with resistance mechanisms of efflux pump and antibiotic deactivation. In contrast, there was no obvious difference in reductions of ARGs with different resistance mechanisms in wet AcoD. Network analysis showed that ARGs were significantly correlated with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (Spearman's r > 0.8, P < 0.05), as well as microbial communities. Enrichment of ARGs and MGEs was found at the early period of AcoD processes, indicating some ARGs and MGEs increased during the hydrolysis and acidogenesis stages. But after a long retention time, their abundances were effectively reduced by dry AcoD in the subsequent stages.

Effects of higher temperature on antibiotic resistance genes for in-situ biogas upgrading reactors with H2 addition

In-situ biogas upgrading by H₂ injection is a promising method for bio-natural gas production, yet the effect of H₂ addition on antibiotic resistance genes during the in-situ biogas upgrading process remains unknown. We analyzed mesophilic and thermophilic in-situ biogas upgrading digesters with intermittent or continuous mixing models using metagenomic and metatranscriptomic methods to evaluate the effects of H₂ addition on antibiotic resistance profiles. We found that H₂ addition had less impact in the mesophilic reactor. In the thermophilic reactor, the influenced antibiotic resistance ontology (AROs) was mostly bound to the integral membrane transporters of the ATP-binding cassette and major facilitator superfamily. The annotated gene numbers of four drug classes, including macrolide, glycopeptide, lincosamide, and fluoroquinolone, increased distinctly after H₂ addition. Acetate concentration is a vital indicator for distinguishing the abundance of different antibiotic efflux pumps. Most of the AROs influenced by Ruminiclostridium replaced the original dominant species Clostridium, and the versatile genus Methanosarcina was the sole methanogen correlated with the altered AROs of efflux pumps conferring antibiotic resistance. The introduced H₂ was synthesized to CH₄via the hydrogenotrophic pathway of Methanosarcina flavescens, and part of the consumed H₂ was used for cell growth.

Elimination of antibiotic resistance genes from excess activated sludge added for effective treatment of fruit and vegetable waste in a novel vermireactor

Elimination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from excess activated sludge (EAS) mixed for effective treatment of different fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) by using a novel vermireactor consisted of substrate and bed compartments was investigated. ARGs (tet G, tet M and sul 1) and mobile genetic element gene (intl 1) were targeted and, through quantitative analysis of their abundances in both the compartments and the fresh cast of earthworms, significant reductions in substrate compartments were confirmed for the treatments for FVW added with EAS and EAS alone even if the reduction extents differed among the types of FVW. Apparent reductions were not found in the bed compartment where the final products accumulated. For the fresh cast, the relative abundances of ARGs and intl 1 against to the total bacterial 16S rDNA decreased markedly. The present study provided an insight for proper controlling of ARGs during vermicomposting of FVW and EAS.

The behavior of antibiotic-resistance genes and their relationships with the bacterial community and heavy metals during sewage sludge composting

The main contributors to antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) profiles during the composting process under the addition of biochar (BC) and peat (PT) were not fully explored. This study investigated the influence of BC and PT amendment on ARGs fate, the bacterial community and heavy metals in sewage sludge compost. Compared to control, BC and PT declined the total abundances of ARGs by 17.6% and 43.0% after composting. Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla across the composting process, among which, members of Firmicutes (mainly Bacillaceae) were the potential hosts for multiple ARGs. BC and PT addition declined the abundance of bacterial pathogens such as Bacteroides and Pseudomonas. Besides, the concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) were less in BC and PT treatments than control on day 40, and these metals displayed significant positive correlations to sul1 and intI1. Furthermore, variation partitioning analysis (VPA) revealed that the bacterial community exhibited the most contribution to the ARG patterns, as much as 34.0%, followed by heavy metals (10.8%) and intI1 gene (1.5%). These results suggested that biochar and peat can reduce the risks of ARGs in sewage sludge mainly by sharping the bacterial composition.

The response of copper resistance genes, antibiotic resistance genes, and intl1/2 to copper addition during anaerobic digestion in laboratory

Heavy metal pollution can serve as a selective pressure for antibiotic resistance genes in polluted environments. Anaerobic fermentation, as a recommended wastewater treatment method, is an effective mitigation measure of antibiotic resistance diffusion. To explore the influence of copper on anaerobic fermentation, we exposed the fermentation substrate to copper in a laboratory setup. We found that the relative abundance of 8 genes (pcoD, tetT, tetA, tetB, tetO, qnrS, ermA and ermB) increased at the late stage of fermentation and their abundance was linked to copper content. Corynebacterium and Streptococcus were significantly positively correlated with ermA, ermB, tetA and tetB (P < 0.05). The relative abundance of tetT was significantly positively correlated with Terrisporobacter, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and Turicibacter (P < 0.05). We screened 90 strains of copper resistant bacteria from blank, medium and high copper test groups on days 25, 31 and 37. The number of fragments carried by a single strain increased with time while intl1, ermA and ermB existed in almost all combinations of the multiple fragments we identified. The relative abundance of these three genes were linearly correlated with Corynebacterium and Streptococcus. The antibiotic resistance genes carried by class 1 integrons gradually increased with time in the fermentation system and integrons carrying ermA and ermB most likely contributed to host survival through the late stages of fermentation. The genera Corynebacterium and Streptococcus may be the primary carriers of such integrated mobile gene element and this was most likely the reason for their rebound in relative abundance during the late fermentation stages.

A review of chemical and microbial contamination in food: What are the threats to a circular food system?

A circular food system is one in which food waste is processed to recover plant nutrients and returned to the soil to enable the production of more food, rather than being diverted to landfill or incineration. The approach may be used to reduce energy and water use in food production and contribute to the sustainability of the system. Anaerobic digestion and composting are common food waste treatment technologies used to stabilize waste and produce residual materials that can replenish the soil, thus contributing to a circular food system. This approach can only be deemed safe and feasible, however, if food waste is uncontaminated or any contaminants are destroyed during treatment. This review brings together information on several contaminant classes at different stages of the food supply chain, their possible sources, and their fates during composting and digestion. The main aim is to identify factors that could impede the transition towards a safe, reliable and efficient circular food system. We investigated heavy metals, halogenated organic compounds, foodborne pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the food system and their fates during digestion and composting. Production and processing stages were identified as major entry points for these classes of contaminants. Heavy metals and foodborne pathogens pose less risk in a circular system than halogenated organics or antibiotic resistance. Given the diversity of properties among halogenated organic compounds, there is conflicting evidence about their fate during treatment. There are relatively few studies on the fate of ARGs during treatment, and these have produced variable results, indicating a need for more research to clarify their fate in the final products. Repeated land application of contaminated food waste residuals can increase the risk of accumulation and jeopardize the safety of a circular food system. Thus, careful management of the system and research into the fate of the contaminants during treatment is needed.

Does 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.

Effect of ultrasonic and ozone pretreatment on the fate of enteric indicator bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes, and anaerobic digestion of dairy wastewater

In this study, the effect of ultrasound (US), ozone and US combined with ozone (US/ozone) pretreatments on the fate of enteric indicator bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and anaerobic digestion (AD) of dairy wastewater was investigated. The pretreatment conditions included US power 200 W, ozone concentration 4.2 mg O₃/L, and pretreatment time 0-30 min. The results showed that US/ozone pretreatment was effective in the inactivation of enteric indicator bacteria. Total coliforms and enterococci were reduced by 99% and 92% after 30 min US/ozone pretreatment. Pretreatments could not decrease ARGs in absolute concentration, but could decrease ARGs in relative abundance. In the subsequent AD process, methane production increased more than 10% with 20 min ozone or 20 min US/ozone pretreatments. Pretreatment-AD together obviously inhibited the enrichment of ARGs in relative abundance. This study provided a pretreatment way to enhance methane production and to prevent the enrichment of ARGs.

Unveiling dynamics of size-dependent antibiotic resistome associated with microbial communities in full-scale wastewater treatment plants

Serious concerns have been raised regarding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) with respect to their potential threat to human health. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been considered to be hotspots for ARGs. In this study, high-throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction (HT-qPCR) was used to profile size-dependent ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) divided by particle-associated (PA) assemblages (>3.0-μm), free-living (FL) bacteria (0.2 - 3.0-μm) and cell-free (CF) DNA (< 0.2-μm) in two full-scale WWTPs (plants A and B) and a receiving stream. The results revealed that FL-ARGs were predominant in WWTPs and the receiving stream, especially in the final effluent of both plants. More than 40 types of CF-ARGs and CF-MGEs were detected with absolute abundances ranging from 6.0 ± 0.7 × 10⁵ to 1.0 ± 0.2 × 10⁸ copies/mL in wastewater, and relatively high abundances were also detected in the final effluent of the two plants, suggesting that CF-ARGs were important sources spreading from the WWTPs to the receiving environment. Plant A exhibited higher log-removal of size-fractionated ARGs and MGEs than was observed for plant B, which was attributed to the enhanced settleability of PA assemblages and FL bacteria by additional macrophytes and chemical coagulants. Ultraviolet disinfection had limited effects on ARGs and MGEs of the PA and FL fractions, which was probably ascribed to the protective matrices of the particles and cell walls. The bacterial communities of the two plants were significantly different among the size fractions (p < 0.01). The variation partitioning analysis (VPA) indicated that the microbial community structures and MGEs contributed a variation of 68.2% in total to the relative abundance changes of size-fractionated ARGs. Procrustes analyses and Mantel tests showed that the relative abundances of ARGs were significantly correlated with bacterial community structures. These results suggested that the bacterial community structures and MGEs might have been the main drivers of the size-fractionated ARG disseminations. This study provides novel insights into size-fractionated ARGs and MGEs in full-scale WWTPs and may lead to the identification of key targets to control the spread of ARGs.

Critical insight into the fate of antibiotic resistance genes during biological treatment of typical biowastes

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in biowaste, such as livestock manure and excess activated sludge, pose potential threat to human and ecological health when applied to agricultural fields. Biological treatment approaches, such as thermophilic composting/vermicomposting and anaerobic digestion, widely adopted to stabilize biowaste have demonstrated significant effects on the fate of ARGs. However, the influence of these biological treatments on ARGs is not known. This review summarizes the occurrence of ARGs in biowaste and the impact of thermophilic composting, vermicomposting, and anaerobic digestion on the fate of ARGs with discussion on factors, including substrate properties, pretreatments, additives, and operational parameters, associated with ARGs during biological treatment of biowaste. Finally, this review explores the research implications and proposes new avenues in the field of biological treatment of organic waste.

Composting of oxytetracycline fermentation residue in combination with hydrothermal pretreatment for reducing antibiotic resistance genes enrichment

Hydrothermal pretreatment can efficiently remove the residual antibiotics in oxytetracycline fermentation residue (OFR), but its effect on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during composting remains unclear. This study compared the shifts in bacterial community and evolutions in ARGs and integrons during different composting processes of OFRs with and without hydrothermal pretreatment. The results demonstrated that hydrothermal pretreatment increased the bacterial alpha diversity at the initial phase, and increased the relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria but decreased that of Bacteroidetes at the final phase by inactivating mycelia and removing residual oxytetracycline. Composting process inevitably elevated the abundance and relative abundance of ARGs. However, the increase in ARGs was significantly reduced by hydrothermal pretreatment, because the removal of oxytetracycline decreased their potential host bacteria and inhibited their horizontal gene transfer. The results demonstrated that hydrothermal pretreatment is an efficient strategy to reduce the enrichment of ARGs during the OFR composting.

Variation and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes and their potential hosts in microbial electrolysis cells treating sewage sludge

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) system is an emerging pollution control technology. However, information on the variation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in MECs treating sewage sludge is still very limited. In this study, the fate of ARGs and their correlation with microbes in MECs under different applied voltages (0-1.5 V) were studied. Most target ARGs were effectively removed, but tetB, tetM and tetQ were enriched up to 2.05 log units in suspended sludge. Most ARGs were mainly distributed on electrodes, except tetQ and tetM enriched in suspended sludge. The selective pressure of residual antibiotics in the sewage sludge was negligible. Horizontal gene transfer was validated for the spread of sul1, sul2, tetA and tetC in MECs. Network analysis revealed that the potential hosts of ARGs mainly belonged to Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Some genera related to electron transfer were newly found to be the potential ARGs hosts in MECs.

Comparative effects of different antibiotics on antibiotic resistance during swine manure composting

This study explored commonly-used antibiotics (lincomycin, chlorotetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin) and their collective effects on antibiotic resistance during composting. In the first 7 days, ciprofloxacin showed the greatest influence on the physicochemical factors among the studied antibiotics; the removal of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the multiple-antibiotic treatment was significantly less than single-antibiotic treatments; especially, the largest removal of ribosomal protection genes (tetW and tetO) occurred in single ciprofloxacin treatment. In the end of composting, similar removal ratio (29.71-99.79%) of ARGs was achieved in different treatments (p greater than 0.05); Chloroflexi became the main phylum and it was closely associated with ARGs removal based on the network analysis. Potential host bacteria of ARGs varied with different antibiotics; in particular, the presence of multiple antibiotics increased potential host bacteria of ermA, sul1 and tetO. Above all, collective effects of different antibiotics led to the enrichment of antibiotic resistance in the composting.

Comparing the fate of antibiotic resistance genes in two full-scale thermophilic anaerobic digestion plants treating food wastewater

This study focus on the fate of ARGs in the full-scale AD of food wastewater (FWW). Residue was collected from two different full-scale thermophilic AD treating FWW. Ten selected ARGs, including tetracycline resistance genes (tetM, tetX, tetQ, tetH and tetG), sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1 and sul2), quinolone resistance genes (qnrD) and macrolide resistance genes (ermB and ermC), were amplified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Furthermore, the class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) was selected as a representative mobile gene element. Remarkable reduction in the ARGs and intI1 was observed in two-stage (acidogenic-methanogenic) AD, particularly, tetG, tetH, tetM, tetQ, tetX and intI1 not detected. Additionally, significant positive correlation (p < 0.01) between ARGs and intI1 suggested a strong likelihood of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Furthermore, stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed significant factors related to the fate of individual ARGs and intI1 during AD.

Antibiotic resistome and microbial community structure during anaerobic co-digestion of food waste, paper and cardboard

Solid organic waste is a significant source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and effective treatment strategies are urgently required to limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we studied ARG diversity and abundance as well as the relationship between antibiotic resistome and microbial community structure within a lab-scale solid-state anaerobic digester treating a mixture of food waste, paper and cardboard. A total of 10 samples from digester feed and digestion products were collected for microbial community analysis including small subunit rRNA gene sequencing, total community metagenome sequencing and high-throughput quantitative PCR. We observed a significant shift in microbial community composition and a reduction in ARG diversity and abundance after 6 weeks of digestion. ARGs were identified in all samples with multidrug resistance being the most abundant ARG type. Thirty-two per cent of ARGs detected in digester feed were located on plasmids indicating potential for horizontal gene transfer. Using metagenomic assembly and binning, we detected potential bacterial hosts of ARGs in digester feed, which included Erwinia, Bifidobacteriaceae, Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus. Our results indicate that the process of sequential solid-state anaerobic digestion of food waste, paper and cardboard tested herein provides a significant reduction in the relative abundance of ARGs per 16S rRNA gene.

Fate of antibiotic resistance genes during high-solid anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure with lignite

Lignite could be used to promote methane production during high-solid anaerobic co-digestion (HS-AcoD) of pig manure, however, the effects of lignite amendment on the fate of ARGs during HS-AcoD are unknown. Here, we explored the influence of lignite (0%, 8%, 16%, 32%, and 64%) on the fate of ARGs during HS-AcoD of pig manure. The results showed that 16% lignite reduced the absolute abundance of ARGs by 28.71% compared with the 0% lignite treatment. Variation partitioning analysis suggested the combined effect of microbial community, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and environmental factors was the major driver shaping the pattern of ARGs. The potential hosts of ARGs were Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Tissierella and Streptococcus. Structural equation models analysis suggested lignite indirectly impacted the pattern of ARGs by significantly reducing the abundance of microbial community and MGEs. These findings give an insight into the mechanistic understanding of the lignite influence on the reduction of ARGs during HS-AcoD.

Contribution of antibiotics to the fate of antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic treatment processes of swine wastewater: A review

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water environment have become a global health concern. Swine wastewater is widely considered to be one of the major contributors for promoting the proliferation of ARGs in water environments. This paper comprehensively reviews and discusses the occurrence and removal of ARGs in anaerobic treatment of swine wastewater, and contributions of antibiotics to the fate of ARGs. The results reveal that ARGs' removal is unstable during anaerobic processes, which negatively associated with the presence of antibiotics. The abundance of bacteria carrying ARGs increases with the addition of antibiotics and results in the spread of ARGs. The positive relationship was found between antibiotics and the abundance and transfer of ARGs in this review. However, it is necessary to understand the correlation among antibiotics, ARGs and microbial communities, and obtain more knowledge about controlling the dissemination of ARGs in the environment.

New insight into fates of sulfonamide and tetracycline resistance genes and resistant bacteria during anaerobic digestion of manure at thermophilic and mesophilic temperatures

This study investigated the variations in antibiotic (sulfonamide and tetracycline) resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant bacteria (ARB) during manure anaerobic digestion (AD) at 35 ℃ and 55 ℃, and discussed the mechanisms of variations in ARGs. The AD lasted for 60 days, five ARGs and intI1 each decreased in abundance after AD at the thermophilic temperature, while only half decreased at the mesophilic temperature. On days 10, 30, and 60, sulfonamide and tetracycline ARB were screened on selective media. During thermophilic AD, ARB numbers reduced by 4-log CFUs per gram dry manure, but only by approximately 1-log CFU at the mesophilic temperature. However, ARB composition analysis showed that at either temperature, no significant reduction in identified ARB species was observed. Furthermore, 72 ARB clones were randomly selected to detect the ARGs they harbored, and the results showed that each ARG was harbored by various hosts, and no definitive link existed between ARGs and bacterial species. In addition, by comparison with the identified host by culture method, the host prediction results based on the correlation analysis between ARGs and the bacterial community was proven to be unreliable. Overall, these findings indicated that relationships between ARB and ARGs were intricate.

Gut digestion of earthworms significantly attenuates cell-free and -associated antibiotic resistance genes in excess activated sludge by affecting bacterial profiles

Vermicomposting can significantly attenuate antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the excess activated sludge (EAS). However, the effect of earthworms, especially the effect of gut digestion as a critical step in the vermicomposting process, remains unclarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of ARGs (cell-free and -associated) in EAS to gut digestion of earthworms and to clarify the possible mechanism from the viewpoint of bacterial community through quantitative polymer chain reaction (q-PCR) and high throughput sequencing. Compared to the initial sludge, the earthworm casts were observed to have significantly lower absolute abundances of ARGs, especially qnrS, tetM, and tetX with the removal exceeding 90%. Cell-free and -associated ARGs (except sul1 and tetG) had equivalent contributions to the attenuation of each ARG. Remarkable reductions of bacterial number and alpha diversity (chao1 and Shannon) were detected in the casts. Spearman correlation analysis between the targeted genes and bacterial community indicates that twelve different phyla mainly including Acidobacteria, Euryarchaeota, Deinococcus-Thermus, Chlorobi, Firmicutes, Fibrobacteres, and Proteobacteria are the potential ARGs hosts, suggesting that the fate and behaviour of these hosts during gut digestion of EAS by earthworms substantially determined the dynamics of the ARGs. These findings increase our understanding of earthworm gut digestion as an important process for the attenuation of ARGs in EAS, and contribute towards preventing their release into the total environment.

Fate of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in a full-scale restaurant food waste treatment plant: Implications of the roles beyond heavy metals and mobile genetic elements

Is our food safe and free of the crisis of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance (AR)? And will the derived food waste (FW) impose AR risk to the environment after biological treatment? This study used restaurant FW leachates flowing through a 200 tons-waste/day biological treatment plant as a window to investigate the fate of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) during the acceptance and treatment of FW. Sulfonamides (sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole) and quinolones (ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, ofloxacin) were detected during FW treatment, while tetracyclines, macrolides and chloramphenicols were not observable. ARGs encoding resistance to sulfonamides, tetracyclines and macrolides emerged in FW leachates. Material flow analysis illustrated that the total amount of antibiotics (except sulfamethazine) and ARGs were constant during FW treatment processes. Both the concentration and total amount of most antibiotics and ARGs fluctuated during treatment, physical processes (screening, centrifugation, solid-liquid and oil-water separation) did not decrease antibiotic or ARGs concentrations or total levels permanently; the affiliated wastewater treatment plant appeared to remove sulfonamides and most ARGs concentrations and total amount. Heavy metals Ni, Co and Cu were important for disseminating antibiotics concentrations and MGEs for distributing ARGs concentrations. Humic substances (fulvic acids, hydrophilic fractions), C-associated and N-associated contents were essential for the distribution of the total amounts of antibiotics and ARGs. Overall, this study implied that human food might not be free of antibiotics and ARGs, and FW was an underestimated AR pool with various determinants. Nonetheless, derived hazards of FW could be mitigated through biological treatment with well-planned daily operations.

Fate of pharmaceuticals and antibiotic resistance genes in a full-scale on-farm livestock waste treatment plant

This study investigated, for the first time, the distribution and fate of 28 multiple-class veterinary pharmaceuticals and antibiotics (PhACs), and their corresponding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), in a full-scale on-farm livestock waste treatment plant. The plant relies on several technologies, including: anaerobic digestion (AD), solid-liquid separation, and two stages reverse osmosis (RO) of the liquid digestate. Tetracycline, fluoroquinolone, lincosamide and pleuromutilin antibiotics, together with anti-helmintic (flubendazole) and anti-inflammatory (flunixin) drugs were the most frequently detected compounds in livestock waste and in slaughterhouse sludge. This last fraction is used as co-substrate in the AD process and showed to be an important input source of PhACs and ARGs. In terms of treatment performance, AD exhibited moderate to low PhACs and ARGs reduction, while a large fraction (<50%) of the PhACs present in the digestate were distributed onto the solid fraction, after solid-liquid separation. Both solid and liquid digestates had relatively high copy numbers of ARGs. Finally, RO showed high rejection percentages for all PhACs (<90%), with concentrations in the low ng L^-1 range in permeates, for most target PhACs. Nevertheless, moderate copy numbers of ARGs were detected in permeates.