Zeng Liqin, Gao Jingfeng, Cui Yingchao, Wang Zhiqi, Zhao Yifan, Yuan Yukun, Xu Hongxin, Fu Xiaoyu
National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
J Hazard Mater. 2024 Jan 5;461:132581. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132581. Epub 2023 Sep 18.
Sucralose (SUC), an artificial sweetener widely used in food, beverages and pharmaceuticals, is frequently detected in various environmental matrices. Triclosan (TCS) is commonly used as a disinfectant and often co-exists with SUC in sewage environments. This study investigated the effects of SUC (0.1-10 mg/L) on the transmission of intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the partial nitrification systems with and without TCS pre-exposure. The reactors operated for 150 days, and SUC did not affect ammonia oxidation performance, while TCS led to the maintenance of partial nitrification. The types and abundances of extracellular ARGs in sludge and free ARGs in water increased significantly after TCS pre-exposure when faced SUC stress, which might be caused by a decrease in α-Helix/(β-Sheet + Random coil). SUC was more easily to enrich ARGs in partial nitrification systems with TCS pre-exposure, exacerbating the risk of ARGs transmission. The microbial community showed stronger relationships to cope with the direct stress of SUC, and the functional bacteria (Thauera and Nitrosomonas) in TCS pre-exposure system might be potential hosts of ARGs. This study might provide insights for better understanding the fates of SUC in partial nitrification systems and the ecological risks in wastewater containing TCS and SUC. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Sucralose (SUC) is often detected in the environment and considered as an emerging contaminant due to its soaring consumption and environmental persistence. Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial agent that often co-exists with SUC in personal care products and sewage environments. During 150 d, two partial nitrification reactors with and without TCS pre-exposure were established to study the effects of SUC on nitrification performance, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbial communities. This study showed the refractory nature of SUC, and SUC led to the transmission of extracellular ARGs in partial nitrification system with TCS pre-exposure, exacerbating the risk of ARGs dissemination.
三氯蔗糖（SUC）是一种广泛应用于食品、饮料和药品中的人工甜味剂，在各种环境基质中经常被检测到。三氯生（TCS）常用作消毒剂，在污水环境中常与SUC共存。本研究调查了SUC（0.1 - 10mg/L）对有或无TCS预暴露的部分硝化系统中细胞内和细胞外抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）传播的影响。反应器运行150天，SUC不影响氨氧化性能，而TCS导致部分硝化得以维持。在面临SUC胁迫时，TCS预暴露后污泥中细胞外ARGs的类型和丰度以及水中游离ARGs均显著增加，这可能是由于α - 螺旋/（β - 折叠 + 无规卷曲）的减少所致。在有TCS预暴露的部分硝化系统中，SUC更容易富集ARGs，加剧了ARGs传播的风险。微生物群落显示出更强的应对SUC直接胁迫的能力，TCS预暴露系统中的功能菌（陶厄氏菌属和亚硝化单胞菌属）可能是ARGs的潜在宿主。本研究可能为更好地理解SUC在部分硝化系统中的归宿以及含TCS和SUC废水中的生态风险提供见解。环境影响：由于三氯蔗糖（SUC）的消耗量激增及其环境持久性，它经常在环境中被检测到，并被视为一种新兴污染物。三氯生（TCS）是一种抗菌剂，在个人护理产品和污水环境中常与SUC共存。在150天内，建立了两个有或无TCS预暴露的部分硝化反应器，以研究SUC对硝化性能、抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）和微生物群落的影响。本研究表明了SUC的难降解性，并且SUC导致了在有TCS预暴露的部分硝化系统中细胞外ARGs的传播，加剧了ARGs扩散的风险。
