1
|
Leão I, Khalifa L, Gallois N, Vaz-Moreira I, Klümper U, Youdkes D, Palmony S, Dagai L, Berendonk TU, Merlin C, Manaia CM, Cytryn E. Microbiome and Resistome Profiles along a Sewage-Effluent-Reservoir Trajectory Underline the Role of Natural Attenuation in Wastewater Stabilization Reservoirs. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0017023. [PMID: 37199629 PMCID: PMC10304787 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00170-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance gene (ARGs) loads dissipate through sewage treatment plants to receiving aquatic environments, but the mechanisms that mitigate the spread of these ARGs are not well understood due to the complexity of full-scale systems and the difficulty of source tracking in downstream environments. To overcome this problem, we targeted a controlled experimental system comprising a semicommercial membrane-aerated bioreactor (MABR), whose effluents fed a 4,500-L polypropylene basin that mimicked effluent stabilization reservoirs and receiving aquatic ecosystems. We analyzed a large set of physicochemical measurements, concomitant with the cultivation of total and cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli, microbial community analyses, and quantitative PCR (qPCR)/digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) quantification of selected ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). The MABR removed most of the sewage-derived organic carbon and nitrogen, and simultaneously, E. coli, ARG, and MGE levels dropped by approximately 1.5- and 1.0-log unit mL-1, respectively. Similar levels of E. coli, ARGs, and MGEs were removed in the reservoir, but interestingly, unlike in the MABR, the relative abundance (normalized to 16S rRNA gene-inferred total bacterial abundance) of these genes also decreased. Microbial community analyses revealed the substantial shifts in bacterial and eukaryotic community composition in the reservoir relative to the MABR. Collectively, our observations lead us to conclude that the removal of ARGs in the MABR is mainly a consequence of treatment-facilitated biomass removal, whereas in the stabilization reservoir, mitigation is linked to natural attenuation associated with ecosystem functioning, which includes abiotic parameters, and the development of native microbiomes that prevent the establishment of wastewater-derived bacteria and associated ARGs. IMPORTANCE Wastewater treatment plants are sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can contaminate receiving aquatic environments and contribute to antibiotic resistance. We focused on a controlled experimental system comprising a semicommercial membrane-aerated bioreactor (MABR) that treated raw sewage, whose effluents fed a 4,500-L polypropylene basin that mimicked effluent stabilization reservoirs. We evaluated ARB and ARG dynamics across the raw-sewage-MABR-effluent trajectory, concomitant with evaluation of microbial community composition and physicochemical parameters, in an attempt to identify mechanisms associated with ARB and ARG dissipation. We found that removal of ARB and ARGs in the MABR was primarily associated with bacterial death or sludge removal, whereas in the reservoir it was attributed to the inability of ARBs and associated ARGs to colonize the reservoir due to a dynamic and persistent microbial community. The study demonstrates the importance of ecosystem functioning in removing microbial contaminants from wastewater.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inês Leão
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal
| | - Leron Khalifa
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | | | - Ivone Vaz-Moreira
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal
| | - Uli Klümper
- Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Youdkes
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | - Célia M. Manaia
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Porto, Portugal
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon-Lezion, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Haber Z, Wilhelmi MDMR, Fernández-Bayo JD, Harrold DR, Stapleton JJ, Toubiana D, VanderGheynst JS, Blumwald E, Simmons CW, Sade N, Achmon Y. The effect of circular soil biosolarization treatment on the physiology, metabolomics, and microbiome of tomato plants under certain abiotic stresses. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1009956. [PMID: 36426148 PMCID: PMC9679285 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1009956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Soil biosolarization (SBS) is an alternative technique for soil pest control to standard techniques such as soil fumigation and soil solarization (SS). By using both solar heating and fermentation of organic amendments, faster and more effective control of soilborne pathogens can be achieved. A circular economy may be created by using the residues of a given crop as organic amendments to biosolarize fields that produce that crop, which is termed circular soil biosolarization (CSBS). In this study, CSBS was employed by biosolarizing soil with amended tomato pomace (TP) residues and examining its impact on tomato cropping under conditions of abiotic stresses, specifically high salinity and nitrogen deficiency. The results showed that in the absence of abiotic stress, CSBS can benefit plant physiological performance, growth and yield relative to SS. Moreover, CSBS significantly mitigated the impacts of abiotic stress conditions. The results also showed that CSBS impacted the soil microbiome and plant metabolome. Mycoplana and Kaistobacter genera were found to be positively correlated with benefits to tomato plants health under abiotic stress conditions. Conversely, the relative abundance of the orders RB41, MND1, and the family Ellin6075 and were negatively correlated with tomato plants health. Moreover, several metabolites were significantly affected in plants grown in SS- and CSBS-treated soils under abiotic stress conditions. The metabolite xylonic acid isomer was found to be significantly negatively correlated with tomato plants health performance across all treatments. These findings improve understanding of the interactions between CSBS, soil ecology, and crop physiology under abiotic stress conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zechariah Haber
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Jesus D. Fernández-Bayo
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Duff R. Harrold
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - James J. Stapleton
- Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, University of California Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier, CA, United States
| | - David Toubiana
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jean S. VanderGheynst
- College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, United States
| | - Eduardo Blumwald
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Christopher W. Simmons
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Nir Sade
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yigal Achmon
- Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Dong D, Liu Q, Wang X, Hu H, Wu B, Ren H, Wang J. Regulation of exogenous acyl homoserine lactones on sludge settling performance: Monitoring via ultrasonic time-domain reflectometry. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 303:135019. [PMID: 35605729 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135019] [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: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive studies, a comprehensive solution for sludge bulking has not yet been found. This study improves the sludge settling performance via quorum sensing (QS) by adding exogenous acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). First, a novel approach based on ultrasonic time-domain reflectometry, which can automatically and in-situ assess a sludge volume index (SVI), was developed using the displacement in the ultrasonic spectra as a feasible indicator (R2 = 0.98, p < 0.01). Next, the effects of typical AHLs, i.e., 3OC6-HSL, C12-HSL, and 3OC14-HSL, on sludge settling properties were investigated. Results indicated that the three AHLs significantly promoted the sludge settleability by 1.90, 2.03, and 1.62 times, respectively. The regulation mechanisms were investigated from the perspective of sludge physicochemical properties and biological community interactions. The draining degree of water to extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) significantly increased (p < 0.05) with all three AHLs. Meanwhile, the hydrophobic tryptophan content increased with the addition of 3OC6-HSL and C12-HSL. Hence, EPS hydrophobicity was promoted, which is conducive to microbial aggregation. In addition, molecular ecological networks of activated sludge (AS) indicated that bacterial community structures were more complex and species interactions were more intense when adding 3OC6-HSL and C12-HSL. Meanwhile, additional keystones were identified, with the proportion of QS species increasing by 63.6% and 22.2%, respectively. Exogenous 3OC6-HSL eventually decreased the gross relative abundance of filamentous bacteria by 2.37%. Overall, appropriate AHLs could enhance community stability and microbial cooperation by strengthening the communication hub role of QS species, thereby suppressing the overgrowth of filamentous bacteria and improving the sludge settleability. This study provides an effective strategy to determine the appropriate AHL to rapidly eliminate filamentous bulking problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deyuan Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Qiuju Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Haidong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Bing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jinfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yang F, Qu J, Huang X, Chen Y, Yan P, Guo J, Fang F. Phosphorus deficiency leads to the loosening of activated sludge: The role of exopolysaccharides in aggregation. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 290:133385. [PMID: 34942214 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Whether phosphorus deficiency in influent will affect the aggregation and sedimentation of activated sludge needs to be further clarified. This paper systematically studied the structure, aggregation and settlement of activated sludge, and the composition, properties and chemical structure of extracellular polymers and microbial community structure of sludge under different influent phosphorus contents to determine the causes of sludge aggregation and structural deterioration. The results show that phosphorus deficiency in influent leads to a decrease in the aggregation capacity and a loose structure of activated sludge, and the reduction of hydrophobic interactions is the main factor of sludge aggregation and structural deterioration. The content, functional groups and protein secondary structure of extracellular protein were almost unchanged. An increase in the content and hydrophilicity of extracellular polysaccharide (PS) results in a decrease in sludge hydrophobicity. Under phosphorus deficiency, the changes in microbial species related to PS secretion were the reasons for the increase in PS content and hydrophilicity. The negative effects of PS content and hydrophilicity on sludge aggregation and structure are important findings of this work and are expected to be useful for better understanding the restoration of activated sludge performance in the treatment of phosphorus-deficient wastewater.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Jianwei Qu
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Huang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Youpeng Chen
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Peng Yan
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Jinsong Guo
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Fang Fang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang Y, Gao H, F Wells G. Integrated omics analyses reveal differential gene expression and potential for cooperation between denitrifying polyphosphate and glycogen accumulating organisms. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:3274-3293. [PMID: 33769674 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Unusually high accumulation of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2 O) has previously been documented in denitrifying biological phosphorus (P) removal bioprocesses, but the roles of differential denitrification gene expression patterns and ecological interactions between key functional groups in driving these emissions are not well understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we applied genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to a denitrifying bioprocess enriched in as-yet-uncultivated denitrifying polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) affiliated with Candidatus Accumulibacter. The six transcriptionally most active populations in the community included three co-occurring Accumulibacter strains affiliated with clades IF (a novel clade identified in this study), IA and IC, a competing glycogen accumulating organism (GAO) affiliated with Competibacteraceae (GAO1), a Gammaproteobacteria PR6 and an Anaerolineae CH7. Strongly elevated expression of nitrite reductase genes compared to nitrous oxide reductase genes was observed in the overall community and in Accumulibacter populations, suggesting a strong role for differential gene expression in driving N2 O accumulation. Surprisingly, while ~90% of the nirS gene transcripts were expressed by the three co-occurring PAO populations, ~93% of the norB gene transcripts were expressed by GAO1 and ~75% of the norZ gene transcripts were mapped to PR6 and several other non-PAO flanking populations. This suggests the potential for cooperation between flanking populations and PAOs in reducing denitrification intermediates. Such cooperation may benefit the community by reducing the accumulation of toxic nitric oxide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yubo Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Han Gao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - George F Wells
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Xu W, Brand VR, Suresh S, Jensen MA, Davis RW, Criddle CS, St Onge RP, Hyman RW. Community members in activated sludge as determined by molecular probe technology. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 168:115104. [PMID: 31639592 PMCID: PMC6873225 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The use of molecular probe technology is demonstrated for routine identification and tracking of cultured and uncultured microorganisms in an activated sludge bioreactor treating domestic wastewater. A key advantage of molecular probe technology is that it can interrogate hundreds of microbial species of interest in a single measurement. In environmental niches where a single genus (such as Competibacteraceae) dominates, it can be difficult and expensive to identify microorganisms that are present at low relative abundance. With molecular probe technology, it is straightforward. Members of the Competibacteraceae family, none of which have been grown in pure culture, are abundant in an activated sludge system in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA. Molecular probe ensembles with and without Competibacteraceae probes were constructed. Whereas the probe ensemble with Competibacteraceae probes identified a total of ten bacteria, the molecular probe ensemble without Competibacteraceae probes identified 29 bacteria, including many at low relative abundance and including some species of public health significance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weihong Xu
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA; Precision Medicine Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Veronica R Brand
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Sundari Suresh
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | | | - Ronald W Davis
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University Medical College, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University Medical College, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Craig S Criddle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Robert P St Onge
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University Medical College, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Richard W Hyman
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University Medical College, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|