1
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Yang Y, Li X, Li X, Wang J, Song D. Quantitative assessment, molecular docking and novel metabolic pathways reveal the interaction mechanisms between norfloxacin biodegradation and environmental implications. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 472:134521. [PMID: 38718513 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134521] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Norfloxacin (NOR) is widely used in medicine and animal husbandry, but its accumulation in the environment poses a substantial threat to ecological and human health. Traditional physical, chemical, and rudimentary biological methods often fall short in mitigating NOR contamination, necessitating innovative biological approaches. This study proposes an engineered bacterial consortium found in marine sediment as a strategy to enhance NOR degradation through inter-strain co-metabolism of diverse substrates. Strategically supplementing the engineered bacterial consortium with exogenous carbon sources and metal ions boosted the activity of key degradation enzymes like laccase, manganese peroxidase, and dehydrogenase. Iron and amino acids demonstrated synergistic effects, resulting in a remarkable 70.8% reduction in NOR levels. The innovative application of molecular docking elucidated enzyme interactions with NOR, uncovering potential biodegradation mechanisms. Quantitative assessment reinforced the efficiency of NOR degradation within the engineered bacterial consortium. Four metabolic routes are herein proposed: acetylation, defluorination, ring scission, and hydroxylation. Notably, this study discloses distinctive, co-operative metabolic pathways for NOR degradation within the specific microbial community. These findings provide new ways of understanding and investigating the bioremediation potential of NOR contaminants, which may lead to the development of more sustainable and effective environmental management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuru Yang
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Xiong'e Li
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Xinyi Li
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Donghui Song
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Chemistry and Food Technology (TUST), Ministry of Education, Tianjin 300457, China.
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2
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Peng L, Jia M, Li S, Wang X, Liang C, Xu Y. Developing antibiotics-based strategies to efficiently enrich ammonia-oxidizing archaea from wastewater treatment plants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 923:171479. [PMID: 38458444 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171479] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The effects of five antibiotics (i.e., ampicillin, streptomycin, carbenicillin, kanamycin and tetracycline) on ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) enrichment from anoxic activated sludge were investigated. The combined use of five antibiotics during 90-day cultivation could selectively inhibit nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) with AOA unaffected, as evidenced by the nitrite accumulation ratio of 100 % and the proportion of AOA in ammonia-oxidizing microbes over 91 %. The alternative use of five antibiotics was the optimal approach to screening for AOA during 348-day cultivation, which inhibited AOB growth at a level equivalent to the combined use of five antibiotics (the AOB-amoA gene decreased by over 99.90 %), further promoted AOA abundance (the much higher AOA-amoA to AOB-amoA gene copy number ratio (1453.30) than that in the groups with the combined use of five antibiotics (192.94)), eliminated bacterial adaptation to antibiotics and reduced antibiotic-resistant bacteria to form Nitrocosmicus-dominant community (42.35 % in abundance).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Mengwen Jia
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shengjun Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Xi Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chuanzhou Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yifeng Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
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3
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Xu Y, Liu Y, Liang C, Guo W, Ngo HH, Peng L. Favipiravir biotransformation by a side-stream partial nitritation sludge: Transformation mechanisms, pathways and toxicity evaluation. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 353:141580. [PMID: 38430943 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141580] [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: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Information on biotransformation of antivirals in the side-stream partial nitritation (PN) process was limited. In this study, a side-stream PN sludge was adopted to investigate favipiravir biotransformation under controlled ammonium and pH levels. Results showed that free nitrous acid (FNA) was an important factor that inhibited ammonia oxidation and the cometabolic biodegradation of favipiravir induced by ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB). The removal efficiency of favipiravir reached 12.6% and 35.0% within 6 days at the average FNA concentrations of 0.07 and 0.02 mg-N L-1, respectively. AOB-induced cometabolism was the sole contributing mechanism to favipiravir removal, excluding AOB-induced metabolism and heterotrophic bacteria-induced biodegradation. The growth of Escherichia coli was inhibited by favipiravir, while the AOB-induced cometabolism facilitated the alleviation of the antimicrobial activities with the formed transformation products. The biotransformation pathways were proposed based on the roughly identified structures of transformation products, which mainly involved hydroxylation, nitration, dehydrogenation and covalent bond breaking under enzymatic conditions. The findings would provide insights on enriching AOB abundance and enhancing AOB-induced cometabolism under FNA stress when targeting higher removal of antivirals during the side-stream wastewater treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yaxuan Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chuanzhou Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wenshan Guo
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Huu Hao Ngo
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Lai Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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4
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Li L, Hu Y, Li B, Kuang K, Peng L, Xu Y, Song K. Effect and microbial mechanism of pharmaceutical and personal care product exposure on partial nitrification process and nitrous oxide emission. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166286. [PMID: 37586526 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
This study focused on the short- and long-term exposure of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) to the partial nitrification process and nitrous oxide emission. The corresponding microbial mechanisms were also explored. The results revealed a concentration-dose effect on the partial nitrification process. Moreover, the PPCP concentration of ≥2 μg/L featured inhibitory effects on the process. The solo effect of PPCP on the partial nitrification process was analyzed through microcosmic experiments, and the results revealed significant variations in PN. A dose-effect relationship existed between the PPCP concentration and N2O emission intensity. After exposure to PPCPs, the N2O emission released during the partial nitrification process was significantly reduced. Different PPCPs featured various effects in mitigating N2O emissions. Low PPCP concentrations led to a reduction in the richness and diversity of microbes, but their community structure remained significantly unchanged. High PPCP concentrations (≥5 μg/L) resulted in increased species richness and diversity, but their microbial community composition was significantly affected. The function prediction and nitrogen metabolic pathway analysis indicated that PPCP exposure led to the inhibition of the ammonia oxidation process. However, all genes encoding denitrification enzymes were upregulated. The microorganisms in the microbial community featured modular structural properties and wide synergistic relationships between genera. This study provides valuable insights into the effect of PPCP exposure on the particle nitrification process and corresponding changes in the microbial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Yikun Hu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China; National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Biqing Li
- Guangzhou Sewage Purification Co. Ltd., Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Ke Kuang
- Guangzhou Sewage Purification Co. Ltd., Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Lai Peng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Yifeng Xu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Kang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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5
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Yuan X, Cui K, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Wu S, Xie X, Liu T, Yao H. Microbial community and gene dynamics response to high concentrations of gadolinium and sulfamethoxazole in biological nitrogen removal system. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 342:140218. [PMID: 37734503 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140218] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The impact of high antibiotic and heavy metal pollution levels on biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) remains poorly understood, posing a global concern regarding the issue spread of antibiotic resistance induced by these contaminants. Herein, we investigated the effects of gadolinium (Gd) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), commonly found in medical wastewater, on biological nitrogen removal systems and microbial characteristics, and the fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), metal resistance genes (MRGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Our findings indicated that high SMX and Gd(III) concentrations adversely affected nitrification and denitrification, with Gd(III) exerting a strong inhibitory effect on microbial activity. Metagenomic analysis revealed that high SMX and Gd(III) concentrations could reduce microbial diversity, with Thauera and Pseudomonas emerging as dominant genera across all samples. While the relative abundance of most ARGs decreased under single Gd(III) stress, MRGs increased, and nitrification functional genes were inhibited. Conversely, combined SMX and Gd(III) pollution increased the relative abundance of intl1. Correlation analysis revealed that most genera could host ARGs and MRGs, indicating co-selection and competition between these resistance genes. However, most denitrifying functional genes exhibited a positive correlation with MRGs. Overall, our study provides novel insights into the impact of high concentrations of antibiotics and heavy metal pollution in WWTPs, and laying the groundwork for the spread and proliferation of resistance genes under combined SMX and Gd pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrui Yuan
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Kangping Cui
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China.
| | - Yihan Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Shiyang Wu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Xianjin Xie
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Tong Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Hongjia Yao
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
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6
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Xu Y, Gu Y, Peng L, Wang N, Chen S, Liang C, Liu Y, Ni BJ. Unravelling ciprofloxacin removal in a nitrifying moving bed biofilm reactor: Biodegradation mechanisms and pathways. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 320:138099. [PMID: 36764613 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138099] [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: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Although moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) have shown excellent antibiotic removal potentials, the information on underlying mechanisms is yet limited. This work assessed the removal of ciprofloxacin in an enriched nitrifying MBBR by clarifying the contribution of adsorption and microbial-induced biodegradation. Results demonstrated the considerable biomass adsorption (55%) in first 30 min. Limiting nitrite oxidizing bacteria growth or inhibiting nitrification would lead to lower adsorption capacities. The highest ciprofloxacin biodegradation rate constant was 0.082 L g SS-1 h-1 in the presence of ammonium, owing to ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB)-induced cometabolism, while heterotrophs played an insignificant role (∼9%) in ciprofloxacin biodegradation. The developed model also suggested the importance of AOB-induced cometabolism and metabolism over heterotrophs-induced biodegradation by analyzing the respective biodegradation coefficients. Cometabolic biodegradation pathways of ciprofloxacin mainly involved the piperazine ring cleavage, probably alleviating antimicrobial activities. It implies the feasibility of nitrifying biofilm systems towards efficient antibiotic removal from wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Wuhan University of Technology, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Ying Gu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Lai Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Wuhan University of Technology, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
| | - Ning Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Shi Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Chuanzhou Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Wuhan University of Technology, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yiwen Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
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7
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Guo N, Liu M, Yang Z, Wu D, Chen F, Wang J, Zhu Z, Wang L. The synergistic mechanism of β-lactam antibiotic removal between ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and heterotrophs. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114419. [PMID: 36174754 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nitrifying system is an effective strategy to remove numerous antibiotics, however, the contribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and heterotrophs for antibiotic removal are still unclear. In this study, the mechanism of β-lactam antibiotic (cefalexin, CFX) removal was studied in a nitrifying sludge system. Results showed that CFX was synergistically removed by AOB (Nitrosomonas, played a major role) and AOA (Candidatus_Nitrososphaera) through ammonia monooxygenase-mediated co-metabolism, and by heterotrophs (Pseudofulvimonas, Hydrogenophaga, RB41, Thauera, UTCFX1, Plasticicumulans, Phaeodactylibacter) through antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)-encoded β-lactamases-mediated hydrolysis. Regardless of increased archaeal and heterotrophic CFX removal with the upregulation of amoA in AOA and ARGs, the system exhibited poorer CFX removal performance at 10 mg/L, mainly due to the inhibition of AOB. This study provides new reference for the important roles of heterotrophs and ARGs, opening the possibilities for the application of ARGs in antibiotic biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Guo
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China; Resources and Environment Innovation Institute, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Mengmeng Liu
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Zhuhui Yang
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Daoji Wu
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China; Resources and Environment Innovation Institute, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Feiyong Chen
- Resources and Environment Innovation Institute, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Jinhe Wang
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China; Resources and Environment Innovation Institute, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Zhaoliang Zhu
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China.
| | - Lin Wang
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China; Resources and Environment Innovation Institute, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan, 250101, China.
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Chen Y, Wang S, Geng N, Wu Z, Xiong W, Su H. Artificially constructing mixed bacteria system for bioaugmentation of nitrogen removal from saline wastewater at low temperature. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 324:116351. [PMID: 36174474 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
To alleviate the inhibition effects of multi-stresses, a multi-bacterial bioaugmentation based on stimulating cell-to-cell interactions was applied to improve the stress potential of salt-tolerant aerobic granular sludge (AGS). Results showed that the consortium formed by a combination of salt-tolerant ammonia-nitrogen utilizing bacteria, salt-tolerant nitrite-nitrogen utilizing bacteria and salt-tolerant nitrate-nitrogen utilizing bacteria with a whole biomass ratio of 1:2:1 achieved maximum nitrogen consumption rate (μNH4+-N, μNO2--N and μNO3--N of 1.03, 0.57 and 11.62 mgN/L·h, respectively) at 35 gNaCl/L salinity and 15 °C. The flocculent consortium was aggregated by Aspergillus tubingensis mycelium pellet, which was made into a compound bacterial agent (CBA), and the comprehensive nitrogen consumption capability of CBA was further improved to 2.47-4.36-fold of single functional bacteria. 5% CBA (m/m) was introduced into the seafood processing wastewater in batches, in winter (12-16 °C), the removal efficiencies of NH4+-N and total nitrogen increased from 66.89% to 52.77% of native AGS system to 79.02% and 69.97% of nascent bioaugmentation system, respectively. The analysis of key enzyme activities demonstrated that the ammonia monooxygenase and nitrate reductase activities of the bioaugmentation system were increased to 2.73-folds and 1.94-folds those of the native system. Moreover, due to an increase of 6.18 mg/gVSS and 0.11 in the secreted exopolysaccharide and tightly-bound/total extracellular polymeric substances, respectively, bioaugmentation boosted the cell bioflocculation ability by 13.53%, which enhanced the robustness. This work provided a detailed and feasible technical proposal for enhancing the biological treatment performance of saline wastewater in cold regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingyun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Shaojie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China.
| | - Nanfei Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Zhiqing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Wei Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China
| | - Haijia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China.
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9
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Zhang H, Quan H, Yin S, Sun L, Lu H. Unraveling the Toxicity Associated with Ciprofloxacin Biodegradation in Biological Wastewater Treatment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:15941-15952. [PMID: 36264842 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Incomplete mineralization of antibiotics in biological sludge systems poses a risk to the environment. In this study, the toxicity associated with ciprofloxacin (CIP) biodegradation in activated sludge (AS), anaerobic methanogenic sludge (AnMS), and sulfur-mediated sludge (SmS) systems was examined via long-term bioreactor tests and a series of bioassays. The AS and AnMS systems were susceptible to CIP and its biotransformation products (TPs) and exhibited performance deterioration, while the SmS system exhibited high tolerance against the toxicity of CIP and its TPs along with excellent pollutant removal. Up to 14 TPs were formed via piperazinyl substituent cleavage, defluorination, decarboxylation, acetylation, and hydroxylation reactions in AS, AnMS, and SmS systems. Biodegradation of CIP in the AS, AnMS, and SmS systems, however, could not completely eliminate its toxicity as evident from the inhibition of Vibrio fischeri luminescence along with Escherichia coli K12 and Bacillus subtilis growth. The anaerobic systems (AnMS and SmS) were more effective than the aerobic AS system at CIP biodegradation, significantly reducing the antibacterial activity of CIP and its TPs in the aqueous phase. In addition, the quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis indicated that the TPs produced via decarboxylation and hydroxylation (TP2 and TP4) as well as by cleavage of piperazine (TP12, TP13, and TP14) exhibited higher toxicity than CIP. The findings of this study provide insights into the toxicity and possible risks associated with CIP biodegradation in biological wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqun Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, China
- Guangdong Yuehai Water Investment Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518021, PR China
| | - Haoting Quan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Shizhong Yin
- China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Lianpeng Sun
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Hui Lu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou 510275, China
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10
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Qian X, Huang J, Yan C, Xiao J. Ecological restoration performance enhanced by nano zero valent iron treatment in constructed wetlands under perfluorooctanoic acid stress. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 846:157413. [PMID: 35870581 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157413] [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: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) of widespread use can enter constructed wetlands (CWs) via migration, and inevitably causes negative impacts on removal efficiencies of conventional pollutants due to its ecotoxicity. However, little attention has been paid to strengthen performance of CWs under PFOA stress. In this study, influences of nano zero valent iron (nZVI), which has been demonstrated to improve nutrients removal, were explored after exemplifying threats of PFOA to operation performance in CWs. The results revealed that 1 mg/L PFOA suppressed the nitrification capacity and phosphorus removal, and nZVI distinctly improved the removal efficiency of ammonia and total phosphorus in CWs compared to PFOA exposure group without nZVI, with the maximum increases of 3.65 % and 16.76 %. Furthermore, nZVI significantly stimulated dehydrogenase (390.64 % and 884.54 %) and urease (118.15 % and 246.92 %) activities during 0-30 d and 30-60 d in comparison to PFOA group. On the other hand, nitrifying enzymes were also promoted, in which ammonia monooxygenase increased by 30.90 % during 0-30 d, and nitrite oxidoreductase was raised by 117.91 % and 232.10 % in two stages. Besides, the content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) under nZVI treatment was 72.98 % higher than PFOA group. Analyses of Illumina Miseq sequencing further certified that nZVI effectively improved the community richness and caused the enrichment of microorganisms related to nitrogen and phosphorus removal and EPS secreting. These results could provide valuable information for ecological restoration and decontamination performance enhancement of CWs exposed to PFOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuwen Qian
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Juan Huang
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China.
| | - Chunni Yan
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Jun Xiao
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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11
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Zhao J, Fang S, Liu G, Qi W, Bai Y, Liu H, Qu J. Role of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in the removal of organic micropollutants during simulated riverbank filtration. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 226:119250. [PMID: 36274354 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Biodegradation plays an important role in the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) during riverbank filtration (RBF) for drinking water production. The ability of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOM) to remove OMPs has attracted increasing attention. However, the distribution of AOM in RBF and its role in the degradation of OMPs remains unknown. In this study, the behavior of 128 selected OMPs and the distribution of AOM and their roles in the degradation of OMPs in RBF were explored by column and batch experiments simulating the first meter of the riverbank. The results showed that the selected OMPs were effectively removed (82/128 OMPs, >70% removal) primarily by biodegradation and partly by adsorption. Inefficiently removed OMPs tended to have low molecular weights, low log P, and contain secondary amides, secondary sulfonamides, secondary ketimines, and benzyls. In terms of the microbial communities, the relative abundance of AOM increased from 0.1%-0.2% (inlet-sand) to 5.3%-5.9% (outlet-sand), which was dominated by ammonia-oxidizing archaea whose relative abundance increased from 23%-72% (inlet-sand) to 97% (outlet-sand). Comammox accounted for 23%-64% in the inlet-sand and 1% in the outlet-sand. The abundances of AOM amoA genes kept stable in the inlet-sand of control columns, while decreased by 78% in the treatment columns, suggesting the inhibition effect of allylthiourea (ATU) on AOM. It is observed that AOM played an important role in the degradation of OMPs, where its inhibition led to the corresponding inhibition of 32 OMPs (5/32 were completely suppressed). In particular, OMPs with low molecular weights and containing primary amides, secondary amides, benzyls, and secondary sulfonamides were more likely to be removed by AOM. This study reveals the vital role of AOM in the removal of OMPs, deepens our understanding of the degradation of OMPs in RBF, and offers valuable insights into the physiochemical properties of OMPs and their AOM co-metabolic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhao
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shangbiao Fang
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Sanitary Engineering, Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5048, 2600GA, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Weixiao Qi
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing Laboratory of Environmental Frontier Technologies, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yaohui Bai
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Huijuan Liu
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Beijing Laboratory of Environmental Frontier Technologies, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Jiuhui Qu
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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12
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Chen Y, Geng N, Hu T, Baeyens J, Wang S, Su H. Adaptive regulation of activated sludge's core functional flora based on granular internal spatial microenvironment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 319:115714. [PMID: 35839647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115714] [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: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A great deal of efforts has been put into studying the influence of the external macroenvironment for activated sludge to survive on microbial community succession, while granular internal spatial microenvironment should be given equal attention, because it is more directly involved in the information exchange and material transfer among microorganisms. This study systematically investigated the effects of granular microenvironment on spatial colonization and composition of sludge's core functional flora, and the corresponding difference of biological treatment performance. High content of extracellular-proteins (67.53 mg/gVSS) or extracellular-polysaccharide (65.02 mg/gVSS) stimulated the microbial flocculation and aggregation of 0.5-1.5 mm granules (GS) or 1.5-3.0 mm granules (GM), respectively, which was resulted from excellent cell hydrophobicity (59.26%) or viscosity (3.47 mPa s), therefore, constituted relatively dense porous frame. More hollow space existed in 3.0-5.0 mm granules (GL), which formed loose skeleton with 0.213 mL/g of total pore volume and 17.21 nm of average pore size. Combining scanning electron microscope images and fluorescent in-situ hybridization based microbiological analysis, aerobic nitrifiers were observed to wrap or surround anaerobic bacteria, or facultative/anaerobic bacteria were self-encapsulated, which created granule's unique microenvironment with alternating aerobic and anaerobic zones. GS has the most rich organic matter degrading bacteria and anaerobic heterotrophic denitrifiers, while GM and GL presented the greatest relative abundance of facultative and aerobic denitrifiers, respectively. The activity of dehydrogenase and nitrogen invertase of GM showed be 1.32-3.09 times higher than those of GS and GL, contributing to its higher carbon and nitrogen removal. These findings highlight the importance of granular microenvironment to adaptive regulation of activated sludge's core functional flora and corresponding pollutant removal performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingyun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Nanfei Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Tenghui Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Jan Baeyens
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaojie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
| | - Haijia Su
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.
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13
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Yang M, Qiu S, Wang L, Chen Z, Hu Y, Guo J, Ge S. Effect of short-term light irradiation with varying energy densities on the activities of nitrifiers in wastewater. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 216:118291. [PMID: 35313179 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microalgal-bacterial consortium (MBC) process has been proposed as an alternative to conventional activated sludge process for nitrogen removal from wastewater. As one of the most influencing parameters, light irradiation effects on microalgae have been extensively investigated. However, light influence on the performance of nitrifiers in activated sludge and its mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the effects of three factors (light irradiation power, irradiation time and sludge concentration) on activities and physiological characteristics of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were systematically studied through both the Design of Experiments driven response surface methodology (RSM) approach and light-nitrification kinetic modeling. Results indicated that light irradiation with the specific light energy density (Es) at 0.0203-0.1571 kJ·mg-1 VSS (80-160 W/400-1000 μmol·m-2·s-1, 2.0-5.0 h and 2750-4250 mg·L-1) stimulated the relative AOB activities (rAOB) by 120.0%. This was supported by the increased electron transport system activity, key enzyme activity (AMO) , gene expression (amoA) and energy generation (ATP consumption) in the light treatment. Moreover, further Es increasing up to 0.18 kJ·mg-1 VSS inhibited both AOB and NOB activities. The inhibition was ascribed to the joint light responses of metabolic disorders and lipid peroxidation. The findings enhance our understanding of nitrifiers' physiological responses to short-term light irradiation, and promote the development of MBC as a sustainable approach for wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Xiao Ling Wei 200, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China
| | - Shuang Qiu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Xiao Ling Wei 200, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China
| | - Lingfeng Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Xiao Ling Wei 200, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China
| | - Zhipeng Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Xiao Ling Wei 200, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China
| | - Yanbing Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Xiao Ling Wei 200, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Center for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shijian Ge
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Xiao Ling Wei 200, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China.
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14
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Yan R, Wang Y, Li J, Wang X, Wang Y. Determination of the lower limits of antibiotic biodegradation and the fate of antibiotic resistant genes in activated sludge: Both nitrifying bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria matter. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 425:127764. [PMID: 34799165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics can be biodegraded in activated sludge via co-metabolism and metabolism. In this study, we investigated the biodegradation pathways of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and antibiotic resistant genes' (ARGs) fate in different autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms, by employing aerobic sludge, mixed sludge, and nitrifying sludge. A threshold concentration of SMX activating the degradation pathways in the initial stage of antibiotics degradation was found and proved in different activated sludge systems. Heterotrophic bacteria played an important role in SMX biodegradation. However, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) had a faster metabolic rate, which was about 15 times higher than heterotrophic bacteria, contributing much to SMX removal via co-metabolism. As SMX concentration increases, the amoA gene and AOB relative abundance decreased in aerobic sludge due to the enrichment of functional heterotrophic bacteria, while it increased in nitrifying sludge. Microbial community analysis showed that functional bacteria which possess the capacity of SMX removal and antibiotic resistance were selected by SMX pressure. Potential ARGs hosts could increase their resistance to the biotoxicity of SMX and maintain system performance. These findings are of practical significance to guide antibiotic biodegradation and ARGs control in wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofan Yan
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yibing Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Jiahuan Li
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xinhua Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Yunkun Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
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15
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Li S, Peng L, Yang C, Song S, Xu Y. Cometabolic biodegradation of antibiotics by ammonia oxidizing microorganisms during wastewater treatment processes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 305:114336. [PMID: 34953231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies on antibiotic removal during wastewater treatment processes are crucial since their release into the environment could bring potential threats to human health and ecosystem. Cometabolic biodegradation of antibiotics by ammonia oxidizing microorganisms (AOMs) has received special attentions due to the enhanced removal of antibiotics during nitrification processes. However, the interactions between antibiotics and AOMs are less well-elucidated. In this review, the recent research proceedings on cometabolic biodegradation of antibiotics by AOMs were summarized. Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) and complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) played significant roles in both nitrification and cometabolic biodegradation of antibiotics. Antibiotics at varying concentrations might pose inhibiting or stimulating effect on AOMs, influencing the microbial activity, community abundance and ammonia monooxygenase subunit A gene expression level. AOMs-induced cometabolic biodegradation products were analyzed as well as the corresponding pathways for each type of antibiotics. The effects of ammonium availability, initial antibiotic concentration, sludge retention time and temperature were assessed on the cometabolic biodegradation efficiencies of antibiotics. This work might provide further insights into the fate and removal of antibiotics during nitrification processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjun Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Lai Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
| | - Chenguang Yang
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya Hainan, 572000, China
| | - Shaoxian Song
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Yifeng Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
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16
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Macêdo WV, Poulsen JS, Oliveira GHD, Nielsen JL, Zaiat M. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) biodegradation in acidogenic systems: One step further on where and who. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 808:152016. [PMID: 34856259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of brominated flame retardants such as Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in water bodies poses a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems. Degradation of TBBPA in wastewater has successfully been demonstrated to occur through anaerobic digestion (AD), although the involved microorganisms and the conditions favouring the conversion remains unclear. In this study, it was observed that bioconversion of TBBPA did not occur during the hydrolytic stage of the AD, but during the strictly fermentative stage. Bioconversion occurred in hydrolytic-acidogenic as well as in strictly acidogenic continuous bioreactors. This indicates that the microorganisms that degrade TBBPA benefit from the electron flux taking place during glycolysis and further transformations into short-chain fatty acids. The degradation kinetics of TBBPA was inversely proportional to the complexity of the wastewater as the apparent kinetics constants were 2.11, 1.86, and 0.52 h-1·gVSS-1 for glucose, starch, and domestic sewage as carbon source, respectively. Additionally, the micropollutant loading rate relative to the overall organic loading rate is of major importance during the investigation of cometabolic transformations. The long-term exposure to TBBPA at environmentally realistic concentrations did not cause any major changes in the microbiome composition. Multivariate statistical analysis of the evolvement of the microbiome throughout the incubation suggested that Enterobacter spp. and Clostridium spp. are the key players in TBBPA degradation. Finally, a batch enrichment was conducted, which showed that concentrations of 0.5 mg·L-1 or higher are detrimental to Clostridium spp., even though these organisms are putative TBBPA degraders. The Clostridium genus was outcompeted by the Enterobacter and Klebsiella genera, hereby highlighting the effect of unrealistic concentrations frequently used in culture-dependent studies on the microbial community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Williane Vieira Macêdo
- Laboratory of Biological Processes, São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo (USP), 1100, João Dagnone Ave., Santa Angelina, 13563-120 São Carlos, SP, Brazil; Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Jan Struckmann Poulsen
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Guilherme Henrique Duarte Oliveira
- Laboratory of Biological Processes, São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo (USP), 1100, João Dagnone Ave., Santa Angelina, 13563-120 São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Jeppe Lund Nielsen
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Marcelo Zaiat
- Laboratory of Biological Processes, São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo (USP), 1100, João Dagnone Ave., Santa Angelina, 13563-120 São Carlos, SP, Brazil
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17
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Kennes-Veiga DM, Gónzalez-Gil L, Carballa M, Lema JM. Enzymatic cometabolic biotransformation of organic micropollutants in wastewater treatment plants: A review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 344:126291. [PMID: 34752884 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biotransformation of trace-level organic micropollutants (OMPs) by complex microbial communities in wastewater treatment facilities is a key process for their detoxification and environmental impact reduction. Therefore, understanding the metabolic activities and mechanisms that contribute to their biotransformation is essential when developing approaches aiming to minimize their discharge. This review addresses the relevance of cometabolic processes and discusses the main enzymatic activities currently known to take part in OMPs removal under different redox environments in the compartments of wastewater treatment plants. Furthermore, the most common methodologies to decipher such enzymes are discussed, including the use of in vitro enzyme assays, enzymatic inhibitors, the analysis of transformation products and the application of several -omic techniques. Finally, perspectives on major challenges and future research requirements to improve OMPs biotransformation are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Kennes-Veiga
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Lorena Gónzalez-Gil
- Defence University Centre, Spanish Naval Academy, Plaza de España, 36920 Marín, Spain
| | - Marta Carballa
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Juan M Lema
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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18
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Li S, Xu Y, Liang C, Wang N, Song S, Peng L. Enhanced biodegradation of ciprofloxacin by enriched nitrifying sludge: assessment of removal pathways and microbial responses. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 85:409-419. [PMID: 35050892 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2021.609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics are mostly collected by sewage systems, but not completely removed within wastewater treatment plants. Their release to aquatic environment poses a great threat to public health. This study evaluated the removal of a widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotic, ciprofloxacin, in enriched nitrifying culture through a series of experiments by controlling ammonium concentrations and inhibiting functional microorganisms. The removal efficiency of ciprofloxacin at an initial concentration of 50 μg L-1 reached 81.86 ± 3.21% in the presence of ammonium, while only 22.83 ± 8.22% of ciprofloxacin was removed in its absence. A positive linear correlation was found between the ammonia oxidation rate (AOR) and ciprofloxacin biodegradation rate. These jointly confirmed the importance of the AOB-induced cometabolism in ciprofloxacin biodegradation, with adsorption and metabolic degradation pathways playing minor roles. The continuous exposure of AOB to ciprofloxacin led to decreases of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) activities and AOR. The antibacterial effects of ciprofloxacin and its biodegradation products were further evaluated and the results revealed that biodegradation products of ciprofloxacin exhibited less toxicity compared to the parent compound, implying the potential application of cometabolism in alleviation of antimicrobial activity. The findings provided new insights into the AOB-induced cometabolic biodegradation of fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjun Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yifeng Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chuanzhou Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ning Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shaoxian Song
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lai Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Processing and Environment, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China E-mail: ; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, China; Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University of Technology, Gaoxin South Fourth Road 19, Yuehai Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518063, China
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19
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Evaluating acute toxicity in enriched nitrifying cultures: Lessons learned. J Microbiol Methods 2021; 192:106377. [PMID: 34798174 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106377] [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: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Toxicological batch assays are essential to assess a compound's acute effect on microorganisms. This methodology is frequently employed to evaluate the effect of contaminants in sensitive microbial communities from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), such as autotrophic nitrifying populations. However, despite nitrifying batch assays being commonly mentioned in the literature, their experimental design criteria are rarely reported or overlooked. Here, we found that slight deviations in culture preparations and conditions impacted bacterial community performance and could skew assay results. From pre-experimental trials and experience, we determined how mishandling and treatment of cultures could affect nitrification activity. While media and biomass preparations are needed to establish baseline conditions (e.g., biomass washing), we found extensive centrifugation selectively destabilised nitrification activities. Further, it is paramount that the air supply is adjusted to minimise nitrite build-up in the culture and maintain suitable aeration levels without sparging ammonia. DMSO and acetone up to 0.03% (v/v) were suitable organic solvents with minimal impact on nitrification activity. In the nitrification assays with allylthiourea (ATU), dilute cultures exhibited more significant inhibition than concentrated cultures. So there were biomass-related effects; however, these differences minimally impacted the EC50 values. Using different nutrient-media compositions had a minimal effect; however, switching mineral media for the toxicity test from the original cultivation media is not recommended because it reduced the original biomass nitrification capacity. Our results demonstrated that these factors substantially impact the performance of the nitrifying inoculum used in acute bioassays, and consequently, affect the response of AOB-NOB populations during the toxicant exposure. These are not highlighted in operation standards, and unfortunately, they can have significant consequential impacts on the determinations of toxicological endpoints. Moreover, the practical procedures tested here could support other authors in developing testing methodologies, adding quality checks in the experimental framework with minimal waste of time and resources.
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20
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Lopez C, Nnorom MA, Tsang YF, Knapp CW. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products' (PPCPs) impact on enriched nitrifying cultures. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:60968-60980. [PMID: 34165737 PMCID: PMC8580922 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14696-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The impact of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) on the performance of biological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has been widely studied using whole-community approaches. These contaminants affect the capacity of microbial communities to transform nutrients; however, most have neither honed their examination on the nitrifying communities directly nor considered the impact on individual populations. In this study, six PPCPs commonly found in WWTPs, including a stimulant (caffeine), an antimicrobial agent (triclosan), an insect repellent ingredient (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)) and antibiotics (ampicillin, colistin and ofloxacin), were selected to assess their short-term toxic effect on enriched nitrifying cultures: Nitrosomonas sp. and Nitrobacter sp. The results showed that triclosan exhibited the greatest inhibition on nitrification with EC50 of 89.1 μg L-1. From the selected antibiotics, colistin significantly affected the overall nitrification with the lowest EC50 of 1 mg L-1, and a more pronounced inhibitory effect on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) compared to nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). The EC50 of ampicillin and ofloxacin was 23.7 and 12.7 mg L-1, respectively. Additionally, experimental data suggested that nitrifying bacteria were insensitive to the presence of caffeine. In the case of DEET, moderate inhibition of nitrification (<40%) was observed at 10 mg L-1. These findings contribute to the understanding of the response of nitrifying communities in presence of PPCPs, which play an essential role in biological nitrification in WWTPs. Knowing specific community responses helps develop mitigation measures to improve system resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Lopez
- Centre for Water, Environment, Sustainability & Public Health, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, UK
| | - Mac-Anthony Nnorom
- Centre for Water, Environment, Sustainability & Public Health, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, UK
| | - Yiu Fai Tsang
- Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, New Territories, 999077, Hong Kong.
| | - Charles W Knapp
- Centre for Water, Environment, Sustainability & Public Health, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, UK.
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21
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Ali Noman E, Al-Gheethi A, Saphira Radin Mohamed RM, Talip BA, Hossain MS, Ali Hamood Altowayti W, Ismail N. Sustainable approaches for removal of cephalexin antibiotic from non-clinical environments: A critical review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 417:126040. [PMID: 34000703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this article, the removal of cephalexin (CFX) antibiotic from non-clinical environment is reviewed. Adsorption and photocatalytic degradation techniques are widely used to remove CFX from waters and wastewaters, the combination of these methods is becoming more common for CFX removal. The treatment methods of CFX has not been reviewed before, the present article aim is to organize the scattered available information regarding sustainable approaches for CFX removal from non-clinical environment. These include adsorption by nanoparticles, bacterial biomass, biodegradation by bacterial enzymes and the photocatalysis using different catalysts and Photo-Fenton photocatalysis. The metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) appeared to have high potential for CFX degradation. It is evident from the recently papers reviewed that the effective methods could be used in place of commercial activated carbon. The widespread uses of photocatalytic degradation for CFX remediation are strongly recommended due to their engineering applicability, technical feasibility, and high effectiveness. The adsorption capacity of the CFX is ranging from 7 mg CFX g-1 of activated carbon nanoparticles to 1667 mg CFX g-1 of Nano-zero-valent iron from Nettle. In contrast, the photo-degradation was 45% using Photo-Fenton while has increased to 100% using heterogeneous photoelectro-Fenton (HPEF) with UVA light using chalcopyrite catalyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efaq Ali Noman
- Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Applied Science, Taiz University, Yemen; Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Pagoh Higher Education Hub, KM 1, Jalan Panchor, 84600, Panchor, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Adel Al-Gheethi
- Micropollutant Research Centre (MPRC), Faculty of Civil Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
| | - Radin Maya Saphira Radin Mohamed
- Micropollutant Research Centre (MPRC), Faculty of Civil Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Balkis A Talip
- Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Pagoh Higher Education Hub, KM 1, Jalan Panchor, 84600, Panchor, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Md Sohrab Hossain
- School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 11800 Penang, Malaysia
| | - Wahid Ali Hamood Altowayti
- Micropollutant Research Centre (MPRC), Faculty of Civil Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Norli Ismail
- School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 11800 Penang, Malaysia
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22
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Sheng Q, Yi M, Men Y, Lu H. Cometabolism of 17α-ethynylestradiol by nitrifying bacteria depends on reducing power availability and leads to elevated nitric oxide formation. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 153:106528. [PMID: 33774495 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106528] [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: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) is a priority emerging contaminant (EC) in diverse environments that can be cometabolized by ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, its transformation kinetics and the underlying molecular mechanism are unclear. In this study, kinetic parameters, including maximum specific EE2 transformation rate, EE2 half-saturation coefficient, and EE2transformation capacity of AOBwere obtained by using the model AOB strain, Nitrosomonas europaea 19718. The relationship between EE2 cometabolism and ammonia oxidation was divided into three phases according to reducing power availability, namely "activation", "coupling", and "saturation". Specifically, there was a universal lag of EE2 transformation after ammonia oxidation was initiated, suggesting that sufficient reducing power (approximately 0.95 ± 0.06 mol NADH/L) was required to activate EE2 cometabolism. Interestingly, nitric oxide emission increased by 12 ± 2% during EE2 cometabolism, along with significantly upregulated nirK cluster genes. The findings are of importance to understanding the cometabolic behavior and mechanism of EE2 in natural and engineered environments. Maintaining relatively high and stable reducing power supply from ammonia oxidation can potentially improve the cometabolic removal of EE2 and other ECs during wastewater nitrification processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ming Yi
- Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yujie Men
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Huijie Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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23
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Su Q, Schittich AR, Jensen MM, Ng H, Smets BF. Role of Ammonia Oxidation in Organic Micropollutant Transformation during Wastewater Treatment: Insights from Molecular, Cellular, and Community Level Observations. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:2173-2188. [PMID: 33543927 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c06466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Organic micropollutants (OMPs) are a threat to aquatic environments, and wastewater treatment plants may act as a source or a barrier of OMPs entering the environment. Understanding the fate of OMPs in wastewater treatment processes is needed to establish efficient OMP removal strategies. Enhanced OMP biotransformation has been documented during biological nitrogen removal and has been attributed to the cometabolic activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and, specifically, to the ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) enzyme. Yet, the exact mechanisms of OMP biotransformation are often unknown. This critical review aims to fundamentally and quantitatively evaluate the role of ammonia oxidation in OMP biotransformation during wastewater treatment processes. OMPs can be transformed by AOB via direct and indirect enzymatic reactions: AMO directly transforms OMPs primarily via hydroxylation, while biologically produced reactive nitrogen species (hydroxylamine (NH2OH), nitrite (NO2-), and nitric oxide (NO)) can chemically transform OMPs through nitration, hydroxylation, and deamination and can contribute significantly to the observed OMP transformations. OMPs containing alkyl, aliphatic hydroxyl, ether, and sulfide functional groups as well as substituted aromatic rings and aromatic primary amines can be biotransformed by AMO, while OMPs containing alkyl groups, phenols, secondary amines, and aromatic primary amines can undergo abiotic transformations mediated by reactive nitrogen species. Higher OMP biotransformation efficiencies and rates are obtained in AOB-dominant microbial communities, especially in autotrophic reactors performing nitrification or nitritation, than in non-AOB-dominant microbial communities. The biotransformations of OMPs in wastewater treatment systems can often be linked to ammonium (NH4+) removal following two central lines of evidence: (i) Similar transformation products (i.e., hydroxylated, nitrated, and desaminated TPs) are detected in wastewater treatment systems as in AOB pure cultures. (ii) Consistency in OMP biotransformation (rbio, μmol/g VSS/d) to NH4+ removal (rNH4+, mol/g VSS/d) rate ratios (rbio/rNH4+) is observed for individual OMPs across different systems with similar rNH4+ and AOB abundances. In this review, we conclude that AOB are the main drivers of OMP biotransformation during wastewater treatment processes. The importance of biologically driven abiotic OMP transformation is quantitatively assessed, and functional groups susceptible to transformations by AMO and reactive nitrogen species are systematically classified. This critical review will improve the prediction of OMP transformation and facilitate the design of efficient OMP removal strategies during wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxian Su
- National University of Singapore Environmental Research Institute, 5A Engineering Drive 1, 117411 Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna-Ricarda Schittich
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marlene Mark Jensen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Howyong Ng
- National University of Singapore Environmental Research Institute, 5A Engineering Drive 1, 117411 Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Water Research, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, 117576 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Barth F Smets
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
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24
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Wang B, Li H, Liu T, Guo J. Enhanced removal of cephalexin and sulfadiazine in nitrifying membrane-aerated biofilm reactors. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 263:128224. [PMID: 33297180 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Nitrification process has been reported to be capable of degrading various pharmaceuticals due to the cometabolism of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). The membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) is an emerging configuration in wastewater treatment with advantages of high nitrification rate and low energy consumption. However, there are very few studies investigating the degradation of antibiotics at environmentally relevant levels in nitrifying MABR systems. In this study, the removal of two widely used antibiotics, cephalexin (CFX) and sulfadiazine (SDZ), was evaluated in two independent MABRs with nitrifying biofilms. The impacts of CFX and SDZ exposure on the nitrification performance and microbial community structure within biofilms were also investigated. The results showed that nitrifying biofilms were very efficient in removing CFX (94.6%) and SDZ (75.4%) with an initial concentration of 100 μg/L when hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 4 h in the reactors. When HRT decreased from 4 h to 3 h, the removal rates of CFX and SDZ increased significantly from 23.4 ± 1.0 μg/(L·h) and 18.7 ± 1.1 μg/(L·h), respectively, to 27.7 ± 1.3 μg/(L·h) (p<0.01) and 20.8 ± 2.4 μg/(L·h) (p<0.05), while the removal efficiencies decreased to 86.0% and 61.5%, respectively. Despite the exposure to CFX and SDZ, the nitrification performance was not affected, and microbial community structure within biofilms also remained relatively stable. This study shows that nitrifying MABR process is a promising option for the efficient removal of antibiotics from domestic wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingzheng Wang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Huayu Li
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia; Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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25
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Cydzik-Kwiatkowska A, Zielińska M, Bernat K, Bułkowska K, Wojnowska-Baryła I. Insights into mechanisms of bisphenol A biodegradation in aerobic granular sludge. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 315:123806. [PMID: 32688251 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater is the major source of bisphenol A (BPA) in the environment, however, the results regarding main mechanisms of BPA biodegradation in wastewater treatment systems are divergent. The effect of BPA concentration in wastewater (0, 2, 6, 12 mg BPA/L) on respirometric activity and expression of selected genes in aerobic granules was examined. A real-time protocol for analysis of direct BPA-degrader activity targeting gene coding for ferredoxin was developed. At 2 mg BPA/L, respirometric activity of granules was the highest, which favored the fastest pollutant removal, and BPA-degraders were active at the beginning of the reactor cycle and no by-products of BPA degradation were detected. At 6 and 12 mg BPA/L, the activity of BPA-degraders was much higher, peaking after feeding and again when a BPA metabolite (3-(benzyloxy)benzoic acid) appeared in the reactor. The upregulation of gene coding for ammonia monooxygenase indicated that co-metabolism occurred mostly at 12 mg BPA/L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Cydzik-Kwiatkowska
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Sloneczna 45G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Zielińska
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Sloneczna 45G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Bernat
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Sloneczna 45G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Bułkowska
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Sloneczna 45G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Irena Wojnowska-Baryła
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Sloneczna 45G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
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26
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Droguett C, Salazar R, Brillas E, Sirés I, Carlesi C, Marco JF, Thiam A. Treatment of antibiotic cephalexin by heterogeneous electrochemical Fenton-based processes using chalcopyrite as sustainable catalyst. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 740:140154. [PMID: 32563883 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The development of heterogeneous Fenton-based electrochemical advanced oxidation processes is important for the removal of organic pollutants at industrial level in the near future. This work reports the application of heterogeneous photoelectro-Fenton (HPEF) with UVA light as an enhanced alternative to the more widespread heterogeneous electro-Fenton (HEF) process. The treatment of the antibiotic cephalexin using chalcopyrite as a sustainable catalyst was studied using an undivided IrO2/air-diffusion cell. XPS analysis showed the presence of Fe(III), Cu(I) and Cu(II) species on the surface. The amount of Fe2+ ions dissolved upon chalcopyrite exposure to continuous stirring and air bubbling was proportional to chalcopyrite content. In all cases, the occurrence of pH self-regulation to an optimum value near 3 was observed. The HEF and HPEF treatments of 100 mL of 50 mg L-1 cephalexin solutions with 0.050 M Na2SO4 have been studied with 1.0 g L-1 chalcopyrite at 50 mA cm-2. Comparative homogeneous EF and PEF with dissolved Fe2+ and Cu2+ catalysts were also performed. HPEF was the most effective process, which can be mainly explained by the larger production of homogeneous and heterogeneous OH and the photodegradation of the complexes formed between iron and organics. The effect of applied current and catalyst concentration on HPEF performance was assessed. Recycling experiments showed a long-term stability of chalcopyrite. Seven initial aromatics and six cyclic by-products of cephalexin were identified, and a plausible degradation route that also includes five final carboxylic acids is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Droguett
- Programa Institucional de Fomento a la I+D+i, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Ignacio Valdivieso 2409, P.O. Box 8940577 San Joaquín, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo Salazar
- Laboratorio de Electroquímica del Medio Ambiente, LEQMA, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACh, Casilla 40, Correo 33, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enric Brillas
- Laboratori d'Electroquímica dels Materials i del Medi Ambient, Departament de Química Física, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignasi Sirés
- Laboratori d'Electroquímica dels Materials i del Medi Ambient, Departament de Química Física, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Carlesi
- Escuela de Ingeniería de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile
| | - José F Marco
- Instituto de Química Física "Rocasolano", CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Abdoulaye Thiam
- Programa Institucional de Fomento a la I+D+i, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Ignacio Valdivieso 2409, P.O. Box 8940577 San Joaquín, Santiago, Chile.
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27
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Li H, Yao H, Liu T, Wang B, Xia J, Guo J. Achieving simultaneous nitrogen and antibiotic removal in one-stage partial nitritation-Anammox (PN/A) process. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 143:105987. [PMID: 32763631 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Partial nitritation-Anammox (PN/A) process has been recognized as a sustainable process for biological nitrogen removal. Although various antibiotics have been ubiquitously detected in influent of wastewater treatment plants, little is known whether functional microorganisms in the PN/A process are capable of biodegrading antibiotics. This study aimed to investigate simultaneous nitrogen and antibiotic removal in a lab-scale one-stage PN/A system treating synthetic wastewater containing a widely-used antibiotic, sulfadiazine (SDZ). Results showed that maximum total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of 86.1% and SDZ removal efficiency of 95.1% could be achieved when treating 5 mg/L SDZ under DO conditions of 0.5-0.6 mg/L. Compared to anammox bacteria, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) made a major contribution to SDZ degradation through their cometabolic pathway. A strong correlation between amoA gene and SDZ removal efficiency was found (p < 0.01). In addition, the degradation products of SDZ did not exhibit any inhibitory effects on Escherichia coli. The findings suggest that it is promising to apply the PN/A process to simultaneously remove antibiotics and nitrogen from contaminated wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huayu Li
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Beijing International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Water Pollution Control Techniques for Antibiotics and Resistance Genes, Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, PR China
| | - Hong Yao
- Beijing International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Water Pollution Control Techniques for Antibiotics and Resistance Genes, Beijing Key Laboratory of Aqueous Typical Pollutants Control and Water Quality Safeguard, Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, PR China.
| | - Tao Liu
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Bingzheng Wang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jun Xia
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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28
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Wang B, Ni BJ, Yuan Z, Guo J. Unravelling kinetic and microbial responses of enriched nitrifying sludge under long-term exposure of cephalexin and sulfadiazine. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 173:115592. [PMID: 32062227 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as one of the reservoirs of antibiotics. Although nitrifying bacteria have been reported to be capable of degrading various antibiotics, there are very few studies investigating long-term effects of antibiotics on kinetic and microbial responses of nitrifying bacteria. In this study, cephalexin (CFX) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) were selected to assess chronic impacts on nitrifying sludge with stepwise increasing concentrations in two independent bioreactors. The results showed that CFX and SDZ at an initial concentration of 100 μg/L could be efficiently removed by enriched nitrifying sludge, as evidenced by removal efficiencies of more than 88% and 85%, respectively. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) made a major contribution to the biodegradation of CFX and SDZ via cometabolism, compared to limited contributions from heterotrophic bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. Chronic exposure to CFX (≥30 μg/L) could stimulate ammonium oxidation activity in terms of a significant enhancement of ammonium oxidation rate (p < 0.01). In contrast, the ammonium oxidation activity was inhibited due to exposure to 30 μg/L SDZ (p < 0.01), then it recovered after long-term adaption under exposure to 50 and 100 μg/L SDZ. In addition, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that the relative abundance of AOB decreased distinctly from 23.8% to 28.8% in the control phase (without CFX or SDZ) to 14.2% and 10.8% under exposure to 100 μg/L CFX and SDZ, respectively. However, the expression level of amoA gene was up-regulated to overcome this adverse impact and maintain a stable and efficient removal of both ammonium and antibiotics. The findings in this study shed a light on chronic effects of antibiotic exposure on kinetic and microbial responses of enriched nitrifying sludge in WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingzheng Wang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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29
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Abstract
Substantial concentrations of penicillin V potassium (PVK) have been found in the environment, which may pose potential threats to human health and contribute to the emergence of penicillin-resistant bacterial strains. In this study, antibiotic-degrading bacterial strains for PVK were isolated from sludge and characterized. Ochrobactrum tritici was selected for the biodegradation of PVK with high efficiency. To enhance its PVK degradation ability, a whole-cell biodegradation process was established and optimized using Ochrobactrum tritici. The degradation rate with 0.5 mg/ml PVK reached 100% within 3 h. The potential biodegradation pathway was also investigated. To the best of our knowledge, the present study provides new insights into the biodegradation of PVK using an Ochrobactrum tritici strain, a promising candidate strain for the industrial biodegradation of β-lactam antibiotics. Substantial concentrations of penicillin V potassium (PVK) have been found in livestock manure, soil, and wastewater effluents, which may pose potential threats to human health and contribute to the emergence of penicillin-resistant bacterial strains. In this study, bacterial strains capable of degrading PVK were isolated from sludge and characterized. Strain X-2 was selected for biodegradation of PVK. Based on morphological observations and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, strain X-2 was identified as an Ochrobactrum tritici strain. To enhance the PVK degradation ability of PVK, a whole-cell biodegradation process of Ochrobactrum tritici X-2 was established and optimized. In the whole-cell biodegradation process, the optimal temperature and pH were 30°C and 7.0, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the degradation rate using 0.5 mg/ml PVK reached 100% within 3 h. During biodegradation, two major metabolites were detected: penicilloic acid and phenolic acid. The present study provides a novel method for the biodegradation of PVK using Ochrobactrum tritici strains, which represent promising candidates for the industrial biodegradation of PVK. IMPORTANCE Substantial concentrations of penicillin V potassium (PVK) have been found in the environment, which may pose potential threats to human health and contribute to the emergence of penicillin-resistant bacterial strains. In this study, antibiotic-degrading bacterial strains for PVK were isolated from sludge and characterized. Ochrobactrum tritici was selected for the biodegradation of PVK with high efficiency. To enhance its PVK degradation ability, a whole-cell biodegradation process was established and optimized using Ochrobactrum tritici. The degradation rate with 0.5 mg/ml PVK reached 100% within 3 h. The potential biodegradation pathway was also investigated. To the best of our knowledge, the present study provides new insights into the biodegradation of PVK using an Ochrobactrum tritici strain, a promising candidate strain for the industrial biodegradation of β-lactam antibiotics.
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30
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Liang DH, Hu Y. Simultaneous sulfamethoxazole biodegradation and nitrogen conversion by Achromobacter sp. JL9 using with different carbon and nitrogen sources. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 293:122061. [PMID: 31520862 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated sulfamethoxazole (SMX) biodegradation and nitrogen conversion by Achromobacter sp. JL9 using different carbon and nitrogen sources. Results showed that SMX and sodium acetate could be co-metabolized as carbon sources for bacterial growth and nitrogen conversion with highest removal efficiencies of 82.44%, 80.2%, and 79.45% for NH4+-N, NO3--N, and SMX, respectively. Strain JL9 was able to utilize SMX as its sole nitrogen source for growth, with an SMX biodegradation efficiency of 63.10%. In addition, carbon and nitrogen balance analyses showed that approximately 35.31% and 63.22% of carbon and nitrogen, respectively, were lost as gaseous products. Finally, medium toxicity gradually decreased during the carbon and nitrogen dependence experiments. This study, thus, suggests that carbon and nitrogen play vital roles in SMX biodegradation and biotoxicity reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Hui Liang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Yongyou Hu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
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Wang B, Ni BJ, Yuan Z, Guo J. Insight into the nitrification kinetics and microbial response of an enriched nitrifying sludge in the biodegradation of sulfadiazine. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 255:113160. [PMID: 31521996 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The intensive use of antibiotics results in the continuous release of antibiotics into wastewater treatment systems, leading to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Nitrifying system is reported to be capable of degrading antibiotics, yet few studies have systematically investigated the inherent correlation among ammonium oxidation rate, antibiotic degradation and genetic expression of nitrifying bacteria along the process. This study selected a widely used sulfonamide antibiotic, sulfadiazine (SDZ), to investigate its biodegradation potential by an enriched nitrifying culture and the response of nitrifying bacteria against antibiotic exposure. Our results demonstrated that SDZ degradation was mainly contributed by cometabolism of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), rather than biomass adsorption. The quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed that the expression level of amoA gene was down-regulated due to the SDZ exposure. In addition, the degradation products of SDZ did not exhibit inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli K12, indicating the biotoxicity of SDZ could be mitigated after biodegradation. The findings offer insights regarding the biodegradation process of sulfonamide antibiotics via cometabolism by AOB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingzheng Wang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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