Comparative efficacy of anaerobic digestion systems in removing antimicrobial resistance genes from swine wastewater

Swine farm wastewater is a major reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Anaerobic digestion (AD), widely implemented in farms, has been extensively studied for ARG removal. However, a comparative study on ARG removal efficiency across the four principal AD systems - up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB), continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), buried biogas digester (BBD), and septic tank (SPT) - is lacking. Herein, we employed metagenomic sequencing, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, as well as atomic absorption spectrometry/atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry, and revealed that UASB and CSTR achieved higher removal efficiencies for both ARGs (67% and 57%) and antibiotic residues (100% and 90%) compared to BBD and SPT. Acinetobacter, Escherichia, Pseudomonas and Streptococcus were the primary ARG hosts, comprising over 65% of the total abundance in influent samples. UASB and CSTR systems demonstrated superior removal efficiencies for both mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and antibiotic residues, both of which had essential impacts on ARG profiles. In addition, heavy metals might contribute to variation in ARGs through horizontal gene transfer. Collectively, the variation in microbial communities and better removal of both MGEs and antibiotic residues contribute to the remarkable ARG removal efficiency of UASB and CSTR, therefore, advocating for the widespread adoption of these two AD systems in swine farms.