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Schuijt LM, van Drimmelen CKE, Buijse LL, van Smeden J, Wu D, Boerwinkel MC, Belgers DJM, Matser AM, Roessink I, Beentjes KK, Trimbos KB, Smidt H, Van den Brink PJ. Assessing ecological responses to exposure to the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in freshwater mesocosms. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 343:123199. [PMID: 38128712 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123199] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics are a contaminant class of worldwide concern as they are frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems. To better understand the impacts of antibiotics on aquatic ecosystems, we conducted an outdoor mesocosm experiment in which aquatic communities were exposed to different concentrations of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (0, 0.15, 1.5, 15 and 150 μg/L). These concentrations include mean (0.15 μg/L) and maximum detected concentrations (15 and 150 μg/L) in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Sulfamethoxazole was applied once a week for eight consecutive weeks to 1530 L outdoor mesocosms in the Netherlands, followed by an eight-week recovery period. We evaluated phytoplankton-, bacterial- and invertebrate responses during and after sulfamethoxazole exposure and assessed impacts on organic matter decomposition. Contrary to our expectations, consistent treatment-related effects on algal and bacterial communities could not be demonstrated. In addition, sulfamethoxazole did not significantly affect zooplankton and macroinvertebrate communities. However, some effects on specific taxa were observed, with an increase in Mesostoma flatworm abundance (NOEC of <0.15 μg/L). In addition, eDNA analyses indicated negative impacts on the insects Odonata at a sulfamethoxazole concentration of 15 μg/L. Overall, environmentally relevant sulfamethoxazole concentration did not result in direct or indirect impairment of entire aquatic communities and ecological processes in our mesocosms. However, several specific macroinvertebrate taxa demonstrated significant (in)direct effects from sulfamethoxazole. Comparison of the results with the literature showed inconsistent results between studies using comparable, environmentally relevant, concentrations. Therefore, our study highlights the importance of testing the ecological impacts of pharmaceuticals (such as sulfamethoxazole) across multiple trophic levels spanning multiple aquatic communities, to fully understand its potential ecological threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M Schuijt
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal K E van Drimmelen
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Hamburg University of Applied Science, Ulmenliet 20, D-21033, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Laura L Buijse
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jasper van Smeden
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Dailing Wu
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marie-Claire Boerwinkel
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Dick J M Belgers
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Arrienne M Matser
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ivo Roessink
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Krijn B Trimbos
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Hauke Smidt
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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Haenelt S, Richnow HH, Müller JA, Musat N. Antibiotic resistance indicator genes in biofilm and planktonic microbial communities after wastewater discharge. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1252870. [PMID: 37731921 PMCID: PMC10507703 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1252870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The spread of bacteria with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic ecosystems is of growing concern as this can pose a risk of transmission to humans and animals. While the impact of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent on ARG abundance in surface waters has been studied extensively, less is known about the fate of ARGs in biofilms. The proximity and dense growth of microorganisms in combination with the accumulation of higher antibiotic concentrations in biofilms might render biofilms a reservoir for ARGs. Seasonal parameters such as water temperature, precipitation, and antibiotic concentrations should be considered as well, as they may further influence the fate of ARGs in aquatic ecosystems. Here we investigated the effect of WWTP effluent on the abundance of the sulfonamide resistance genes sul1 and sul2, and the integrase gene intI1 in biofilm and surface water compartments of a river in Germany with a gradient of anthropogenic impact using quantitative PCR. Furthermore, we analyzed the bacterial community structure in both compartments via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, following the river downstream. Additionally, conventional water parameters and sulfonamide concentrations were measured, and seasonal aspects were considered by comparing the fate of ARGs and bacterial community diversity in the surface water compartment between the summer and winter season. Our results show that biofilm compartments near the WWTP had a higher relative abundance of ARGs (up to 4.7%) than surface waters (<2.8%). Sulfonamide resistance genes were more persistent further downstream (>10 km) of the WWTP in the hot and dry summer season than in winter. This finding is likely a consequence of the higher proportion of wastewater and thus wastewater-derived microorganisms in the river during summer periods. We observed distinct bacterial communities and ARG abundance between the biofilm and surface water compartment, but even greater variations when considering seasonal and spatiotemporal parameters. This underscores the need to consider seasonal aspects when studying the fate of ARGs in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Haenelt
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hans-Hermann Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jochen A. Müller
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG 5), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Niculina Musat
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Biology, Section for Microbiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Chabilan A, Ledesma DGB, Horn H, Borowska E. Mesocosm experiment to determine the contribution of adsorption, biodegradation, hydrolysis and photodegradation in the attenuation of antibiotics at the water sediment interface. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 866:161385. [PMID: 36621511 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
To understand the fate of antibiotics in the aquatic environment, we need to evaluate to which extent the following processes contribute to the overall antibiotic attenuation: adsorption to river sediment, biodegradation, hydrolysis and photodegradation. A laboratory scale mesocosm experiment was conducted in 10 L reactors filled with river sediment and water. The reactors were spiked with four classes of antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, macrolides, sulfonamides, tetracyclines), as well as clindamycin and trimethoprim. The experimental-set-up was designed to study the attenuation processes in parallel in one mesocosm experiment, hence also considering synergetic effects. Our results showed that antibiotics belonging to the same class exhibited similar behavior. Adsorption was the main attenuation process for the fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines (44.4 to 80.0 %). For the sulfonamides, biodegradation was the most frequent process (50.2 to 65.1 %). Hydrolysis appeared to be significant only for tetracyclines (12.6 to 41.8 %). Photodegradation through visible light played a minor role for most of the antibiotics - fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, and trimethoprim (0.7 to 24.7 %). The macrolides were the only class of antibiotics not affected by the studied processes and they persisted in the water phase. Based on our results, we propose to class the antibiotics in three groups according to their persistence in the water phase. Fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines were non-persistent (half-lives shorter than 11 d). Chlorotetracycline, sulfapyridine and trimethoprim showed a moderate persistence (half-lives between 12 and 35 d). Due to half-lives longer than 36 d sulfonamides and clindamycin were classified as persistent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Chabilan
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Daniel Gustavo Barajas Ledesma
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Harald Horn
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany; DVGW-Research Center at the Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Ewa Borowska
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 9, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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