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An Approach to Constructing Multispecies Biofilm Communities from Rhizosphere Soil
Published on: May 24, 2024
Associations between rhizosphere microbial community structure and antibiotic attenuation in a pilot-scale hybrid
Leila Teresinha Maranho1, Marlon Roger Geraldo2, Keite da Silva Nogueira3
1Laboratório de Fisiologia de Plantas sob Estresse, Departamento de Botânica, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos, 100, Centro Politécnico Jardim das Américas, C.P. 19031, Paraná, Curitiba 81531-980, Brazil.
Abstract:
Constructed wetlands are widely used as nature-based solutions for wastewater treatment; however, the role of rhizosphere-associated microbial communities in the attenuation of emerging contaminants remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the antibiotic removal and microbial community structure in a pilot-scale hybrid constructed wetland treating municipal wastewater by integrating vertical upflow (Sagittaria montevidensis), floating (Salvinia molesta + Lemna gibba), and horizontal subsurface flow (Canna indica) units. Antibiotics from different therapeutic classes were quantified using LC-MS/MS across the treatment compartments. The system achieved high attenuation efficiencies, with removal efficiencies exceeding 98% for the target compounds. The floating macrophyte unit showed the greatest reduction in concentrations relative to the upstream compartments. Microbial community analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed marked shifts in the community structure along the treatment gradient. Alpha diversity indices varied (Shannon index: 1.066-4.954), with higher diversity observed in rhizospheric communities associated with Sagittaria and Canna than in influent wastewater and pre-exposure samples. Beta diversity analysis (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) showed a clear separation between the wastewater and rhizospheric communities (PERMANOVA, p = 0.001; R² = 0.66). Redundancy analysis and correlation-based approaches indicated that variations in dominant groups were statistically associated with antibiotic attenuation patterns across treatment compartments. These relationships represent ecological covariation patterns and should not be interpreted as direct evidence of microbial biodegradation activity. Overall, the results indicate that hybrid CW promote structured rhizosphere microbial communities that co-vary with antibiotic attenuation, supporting the future integration of microbial ecology into nature-based wastewater treatment optimization.
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