Photocatalysis enhanced constructed wetlands effectively remove antibiotic resistance genes from domestic wastewater

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a new class of environmental pollutants that endanger both humans and the environment. So far, removing ARGs economically and efficiently has remained a challenge. In this study, combining photocatalytic technology with constructed wetlands (CWs) were used to remove ARGs, which can remove both intracellular and extracellular ARGs and reduce the risk of resistance gene spread. This study includes three devices: a series photocatalytic treatment-constructed wetland (S-PT-CW), a built photocatalytic treatment into a constructed wetland (B-PT-CW), and a single constructed wetland (S-CW). Results demonstrated that photocatalysis and CWs together increased the efficiency of removing ARGs, particularly intracellular ARGs (iARGs). The log values of iARGs removal ranged from 1.27 to 1.72, while the log values of eARGs removal were only 0.23-0.65. The iARG removal effectiveness was ranked as B-PT-CW > S-PT-CW > S-CW, and the removal effectiveness for extracellular ARGs (eARGs) was ranked as S-PT-CW > B-PT-CW > S-CW. Further investigation into the removal mechanisms of S-PT-CW and B-PT-CW revealed that CWs represented primary pathways for iARG removal, whereas photocatalysis was the primary pathways for eARG removal. The addition of nano-TiO₂ altered the diversity and structure of the microorganisms in CWs, leading to an increase in the abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus removal microorganisms. The main potential hosts for target ARGs (sul1, sul2 and tetQ), were the genera Vibrio, Gluconobacter, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, and Halomonas; the removal of these potential hosts from wastewater may result from their decreased abundance.