Microplastics deteriorate the removal efficiency of antibiotic resistance genes during aerobic sludge digestion.

Zhang, Z; Liu, H; Wen, H; Gao, L; Gong, Y; Guo, W; Wang, Z; Li, X; Wang, Q

Microplastics deteriorate the removal efficiency of antibiotic resistance genes during aerobic sludge digestion.

Zhang, Z Liu, H Wen, H Gao, L Gong, Y Guo, W

Wang, Z Li, X Wang, Q

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Science of the Total Environment, 2021, 798, pp. 1-10
Issue Date:: 2021-12-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, Z
dc.contributor.author	Liu, H
dc.contributor.author	Wen, H
dc.contributor.author	Gao, L
dc.contributor.author	Gong, Y
dc.contributor.author	Guo, W https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5542-2858
dc.contributor.author	Wang, Z
dc.contributor.author	Li, X
dc.contributor.author	Wang, Q https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5744-2331
dc.date.accessioned	2022-04-13T03:38:03Z
dc.date.available	2021-07-26
dc.date.available	2022-04-13T03:38:03Z
dc.date.issued	2021-12-01
dc.identifier.citation	Science of the Total Environment, 2021, 798, pp. 1-10
dc.identifier.issn	0048-9697
dc.identifier.issn	1879-1026
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/156189
dc.description.abstract	Sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is considered to be reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be efficiently removed by sludge treatment processes, e.g., aerobic sludge digestion. However, recent studies report microplastics, which also accumulate in sludge, may serve as carriers for ARGs. In the presence of microplastics, whether ARGs can still be efficiently destroyed by aerobic sludge digestion remains to be urgently investigated. In this study, the fate of ARGs during aerobic digestion was investigated with and without the addition of three prevalent categories of (i.e., polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)). Nine ARGs and class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) that represents the horizontal transfer potential of ARGs were tested in this study. Compared with the control, the ARGs removal efficiency decreased by 129.6%, 137.0%, and 227.6% with the presence of PVC, PE, and PET, respectively, although a negligible difference was observed with their solids reduction efficiencies. The abundance of potential bacterial hosts of ARGs and intI1 increased in the reactors with the addition of microplastics, suggesting that microplastics potentially selectively enriched bacterial hosts and promoted the horizontal transfer of ARGs during aerobic sludge digestion. These may have contributed to the deteriorated ARGs removal efficiency. This study demonstrated that microplastics in sludge would decrease the ARGs removal efficiency in aerobic digestion process, potentially leading to more ARGs entering the local environment during sludge disposal or utilization.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT200100264
dc.relation.ispartof	Science of the Total Environment
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149344
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Sciences
dc.subject.mesh	Anti-Bacterial Agents
dc.subject.mesh	Digestion
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Resistance, Microbial
dc.subject.mesh	Genes, Bacterial
dc.subject.mesh	Microplastics
dc.subject.mesh	Plastics
dc.subject.mesh	Sewage
dc.subject.mesh	Waste Water
dc.subject.mesh	Anti-Bacterial Agents
dc.subject.mesh	Digestion
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Resistance, Microbial
dc.subject.mesh	Genes, Bacterial
dc.subject.mesh	Microplastics
dc.subject.mesh	Plastics
dc.subject.mesh	Sewage
dc.subject.mesh	Waste Water
dc.subject.mesh	Plastics
dc.subject.mesh	Anti-Bacterial Agents
dc.subject.mesh	Sewage
dc.subject.mesh	Drug Resistance, Microbial
dc.subject.mesh	Digestion
dc.subject.mesh	Genes, Bacterial
dc.subject.mesh	Waste Water
dc.subject.mesh	Microplastics
dc.title	Microplastics deteriorate the removal efficiency of antibiotic resistance genes during aerobic sludge digestion.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	798
utslib.location.activity	Netherlands
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CTWW - Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater Treatment
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
utslib.copyright.embargo	2023-12-01T00:00:00+1000Z
dc.date.updated	2022-04-13T03:38:01Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	798

Abstract:

Sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is considered to be reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can be efficiently removed by sludge treatment processes, e.g., aerobic sludge digestion. However, recent studies report microplastics, which also accumulate in sludge, may serve as carriers for ARGs. In the presence of microplastics, whether ARGs can still be efficiently destroyed by aerobic sludge digestion remains to be urgently investigated. In this study, the fate of ARGs during aerobic digestion was investigated with and without the addition of three prevalent categories of (i.e., polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)). Nine ARGs and class 1 integron-integrase gene (intI1) that represents the horizontal transfer potential of ARGs were tested in this study. Compared with the control, the ARGs removal efficiency decreased by 129.6%, 137.0%, and 227.6% with the presence of PVC, PE, and PET, respectively, although a negligible difference was observed with their solids reduction efficiencies. The abundance of potential bacterial hosts of ARGs and intI1 increased in the reactors with the addition of microplastics, suggesting that microplastics potentially selectively enriched bacterial hosts and promoted the horizontal transfer of ARGs during aerobic sludge digestion. These may have contributed to the deteriorated ARGs removal efficiency. This study demonstrated that microplastics in sludge would decrease the ARGs removal efficiency in aerobic digestion process, potentially leading to more ARGs entering the local environment during sludge disposal or utilization.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/156189