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Responses of performance, antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial communities of partial nitrification system to

Yingchao Cui1, Jingfeng Gao1, Da Zhang1

  • 1National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.

Bioresource Technology
|August 22, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Polyamide microplastics (MPs) had minimal impact on wastewater partial nitrification performance. However, these plastic particles reduced microbial diversity and increased the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology
  • Environmental Engineering

Background:

  • Polyamide (PA) is a common microplastic (MP) found in wastewater treatment plants.
  • The impact of PA MPs on partial nitrification systems remains largely unknown.
  • Understanding these effects is crucial for managing microplastic pollution in aquatic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the short-term and long-term effects of PA MPs on the performance of partial nitrification systems.
  • To analyze the influence of PA MPs on microbial diversity, community structure, and the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
  • To identify potential microbial hosts of ARGs in the presence of PA MPs.

Main Methods:

  • Exposure of partial nitrification systems to varying concentrations of PA MPs.
  • Monitoring of system performance parameters, including ammonia oxidation rate.
  • Analysis of microbial community structure and diversity using techniques like oligotyping.
  • Identification and correlation analysis of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbial communities.

Main Results:

  • PA MPs exhibited slight short-term and long-term effects on partial nitrification performance.
  • A slow decrease in ammonia oxidation rate was observed with increasing PA MP concentration.
  • PA MPs reduced microbial diversity and altered the microbial community structure.
  • The abundance and spread of ARGs, such as fabI, intI1, and Tn916/1545, were facilitated by PA MPs.
  • Specific genera including Ferruginibacter, Hyphomicrobium, Terrimonas, Brevundimonas, and Plasticicumulans were identified as potential hosts for ARGs.

Conclusions:

  • PA microplastics minimally affect the operational performance of partial nitrification systems.
  • PA MPs significantly alter the microbial community structure and increase the risk of ARG propagation.
  • Targeted management strategies may be needed to mitigate the ecological risks associated with microplastics in wastewater treatment.
Keywords:
Antibiotic resistance genesBacterial community structureFunctional genesPartial nitrification systemPolyamide microplastics

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