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Antibiotics inhibit methanogenesis during municipal solid waste decomposition.
Renjie Ni1, Shuijing Wang1, Xiaoxing Lin1
1School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi 247230, China.
The Science of the Total Environment
|September 27, 2023
Summary
Antibiotics in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills inhibit crucial methane-producing microbes, reducing overall methanogenesis. While overall decomposition phases remain intact, specific microbial communities are impacted, affecting biodegradable matter degradation and methane production.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Waste Management
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are recognized sources of antibiotics, yet their impact on waste decomposition and methanogenesis is not fully understood.
- Antibiotics can enter the environment through various pathways, potentially affecting microbial communities involved in organic matter degradation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations (ERCs) of common antibiotics on MSW decomposition and methanogenesis.
- To analyze the shifts in bacterial and archaeal communities and the abundance of the mcrA gene under antibiotic exposure.
Main Methods:
- MSW decomposition was studied in bioreactors with and without eight antibiotics (tetracyclines, sulfonamides, macrolides) at ERCs (200 μg/kg).
- Physicochemical parameters (pH, COD, BOD) of leachate were monitored to identify decomposition phases (aerobic, anaerobic acid, methanogenic).
- Bacterial and archaeal compositions were assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and mcrA gene abundance was quantified via qPCR.
Main Results:
- Antibiotics significantly altered bacterial and archaeal community structures, decreasing mcrA gene abundance and inhibiting methanogenesis.
- Specific microbial groups, including cellulose-degrading bacteria (Firmicutes) and hydrolytic bacteria (Proteobacteria), were inhibited, leading to reduced biodegradable matter degradation.
- Despite microbial inhibition, the overall MSW decomposition process and its distinct phases were successfully established in both treated and untreated bioreactors.
Conclusions:
- Environmentally relevant concentrations of antibiotics can inhibit methanogenesis in MSW landfills by altering microbial community composition and function.
- These findings provide critical insights into methane management strategies and the environmental impact of antibiotics in waste decomposition.
- While overall decomposition pathways are not disrupted, the efficiency of methane production is significantly affected by antibiotic contamination.
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