Article
Environmental Sciences
Lele Liu, Xinyi Zou, Yifan Gao, Huihui Li, Yuan Cheng, Xueying Zhang, Qingbin Yuan
Summary: This study investigated the propagation of intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water and biofilms when exposed to antibiotics at different concentrations and frequencies. The abundance of intracellular ARGs increased with antibiotic concentration, while the abundance of extracellular ARGs decreased. Combined exposure to two antibiotics showed a synergistic effect on intracellular ARG propagation but an antagonistic effect on extracellular ARG propagation. Single-dose exposure favored intracellular ARG propagation, while fractional dosing favored extracellular ARG propagation.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Haibei Li, Hongling Yu, Yongbing Liang, Xudong Zhang, Dong Yang, Lin Wang, Danyang Shi, Tianjiao Chen, Shuqing Zhou, Jing Yin, Zhongwei Yang, Junwen Li, Min Jin
Summary: Chloramination and chlorination are effective measures to prevent the transmission of potential pathogens through drinking water. However, their effects on the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water treatment plants are not well understood. This study found that chloramination led to higher enrichment of intracellular ARGs (iARGs), while chlorination facilitated the release of extracellular ARGs (eARGs). The concentration of iARGs showed a strong positive correlation with ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentration, indicating NH4+-N as a driving factor for iARG accumulation during chloramination. Shortening the duration of chloramination can effectively control iARG enrichment. These findings highlight the potential risk of antibiotic resistance after extended chloramination and provide insights for optimizing disinfection procedures in water treatment plants to control the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuan Cheng, Jiarui Lu, Shusen Fu, Shangjie Wang, Naomi Senehi, Qingbin Yuan
Summary: The study revealed that MPs significantly adsorbed ARGs, with eARGs showing better adsorption than iARGs. Exposure to MPs enhanced horizontal gene transfer of cells, emphasizing the need to address the propagation of ARGs through adsorption to MPs.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Liang Xu, Jie Gu, Xiaojuan Wang, Zilin Song, Haihong Jiang, Nana Li, Liusheng Lei, Jun Xie, Ting Hu, Qingling Ding, Yifan Sun
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics of intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (iARGs), extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and bacteriophage ARGs (bARGs) during mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion of cow manure. The results showed a significant decrease in the abundance of iARGs and an increase in the abundance of eARGs and bARGs, with eARGs mainly derived from the non-specific lysis of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peng Li, Xiya Guo, Jing Jing, Wenbiao Hu, Wen-Qiang Wei, Xin Qi, Guihua Zhuang
Summary: The study found that long-term exposure to PM2.5 was significantly associated with increased risks for esophageal cancer incidence (ECI), especially with notable gender differences and variations in urban-rural areas at different lag periods.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qing Wang, Shengjuan Yang, Shaojing Sun, Litao Wang, Guang Yang, Jinghui Luo, Yan Sun, Xuli Li, Na Wang, Bin Chen
Summary: This study analyzed the distribution, sources, and relationships between air quality index and PM2.5 concentration with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in PM2.5 in a polluted city in northern China from 2013 to 2017. The abundance of ARGs was highest in 2013 and positively correlated with air quality index and PM2.5 concentration. Different functional regions showed variations in ARG abundance, with sewage treatment plants having the highest and parks having the lowest abundance. Regional transportation was found to contribute significantly to the distribution of ARGs in PM2.5. Furthermore, the exposure dose of ARGs varied among different functional regions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yingchao Cui, Jingfeng Gao, Liqin Zeng, Yi Guo, Hongxin Xu, Mingyan Zhao
Summary: The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a global problem and the transmission risk of extracellular ARGs (e-ARGs) is higher under specific treatment conditions. This study found that the transmission risk of ARGs in Floc sludge reactor (FS) and biofilm reactor (BF) increased with the number of treatment cycles, while the risk in granular sludge reactor (GS) showed no significant change. The microbial community directly influenced the variations of ARGs in different treatment systems.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhen-Chao Zhou, Yang Liu, Ze-Jun Lin, Xin-Yi Shuai, Lin Zhu, Lan Xu, Ling-Xuan Meng, Yu-Jie Sun, Hong Chen
Summary: This study revealed the presence of diverse antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbes in indoor dust, PM10, and PM2.5 particulate matter in a hospital environment. Macrolides and aminoglycoside resistance genes were found to be abundant in the human airways and environmental samples, respectively. Network analysis showed co-occurrences of priority pathogens, ARGs, and mobile genetic elements, highlighting the potential link between environments and humans.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Chengyu Liang, Dong Wei, Weizhi Yan, Siying Zhang, Jiping Shi, Li Liu
Summary: The study found that cattle farm wastewater contains abundant antibiotic resistance genes, which can be gradually reduced in concentration through anaerobic treatment, phosphorus sludge digestion, membrane bioreactor, and ozone disinfection. The concentrations of ARGs are positively correlated with wastewater quality indicators, and there is also a positive correlation between iARGs and Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Spirochaetes.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nervana Haffiez, Basem S. Zakaria, Seyed Mohammad Mirsoleimani Azizi, Bipro Ranjan Dhar
Summary: Thermal hydrolysis of sludge affects the fate of different fractions of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in anaerobic digestion (AD), with extracellular polymeric substance (EPS)-associated ARGs being the major fraction and showing a positive correlation with intracellular and cell-free ARGs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haihong Jiang, Li Zhang, Xiaojuan Wang, Jie Gu, Zilin Song, Shumei Wei, Honghong Guo, Liang Xu, Xun Qian
Summary: Applying SiO2 nanoparticles during aerobic composting of livestock manure can reduce the abundance of intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (i-ARGs and e-ARGs). SiO2NPs increase the removal rates of i-ARGs and e-ARGs and enhance the competition between ARGs hosts and non-hosts. Moreover, SiO2NPs optimize the bacterial community structure, reduce the abundances of co-hosts, and decrease the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Atin Adhikari, Pratik Banerjee, Taylor Thornton, Daleniece Higgins Jones, Caleb Adeoye, Sonam Sherpa
Summary: The USA is one of the top cotton-producing countries globally and cotton farming is commonly practiced in Georgia. Cotton harvesting can contribute to airborne microbial exposures, but the use of respirators or masks can help reduce this exposure. However, the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard does not apply to agricultural workplaces, and the effectiveness of N95 respirators against airborne microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes during cotton harvesting has not been tested. This study addressed these gaps by sampling airborne microorganisms on cotton farms and evaluating the protection provided by N95 respirators. The findings showed that cotton harvesting can release antibiotic resistance genes into the farm air, and the tested N95 respirators did not offer sufficient protection against microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes during cotton harvesting.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Liqin Zeng, Jingfeng Gao, Yingchao Cui, Zhiqi Wang, Yifan Zhao, Yukun Yuan, Hongxin Xu, Xiaoyu Fu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of artificial sweetener sucralose on the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater containing disinfectant triclosan. The study found that sucralose easily enriched antibiotic resistance genes and exacerbated the risk of gene dissemination.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Longyi Shao, Yaxin Cao, Tim Jones, M. Santosh, Luis F. O. Silva, Shuoyi Ge, Katia da Boit, Xiaolei Feng, Mengyuan Zhang, Kelly BeruBe
Summary: This study investigated the impact of airborne PM2.5 on COVID-19 mortality, revealing that populations exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 pollution are more susceptible to COVID-19 deaths with a lag time of >18 days. Meteorological factors such as temperature and atmospheric pressure were also found to have significant effects on COVID-19 mortality.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lu Song, Guanyu Jiang, Can Wang, Jinbiao Ma, Hong Chen
Summary: This study investigates the pollution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotics in the air of chicken farms. It reveals that the concentration of airborne ARGs is significantly higher in farms that feed antibiotics to chickens compared to farms that do not. Continuous antibiotic feeding alters the microbial community structure in the chicken's intestines and increases the possibility of ARGs transferring horizontally between air and feces samples. Minimizing antibiotic use can reduce the enrichment of ARGs in chicken farms.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Tangtian He, Ling Jin, Xiangdong Li
Summary: Airborne particulate matter (PM) pollution is a major environmental health risk and is closely associated with lower respiratory infections. The airborne transmission of pathogens plays an important role in infection and morbidity, and the seasonal and geographical factors have a significant impact on the survival and infectivity of pathogens. Although short-term elevations in fine and coarse PM are correlated with an increase in respiratory infections, the specific causative agents and the interactions between chemical and microbiological agents are still undefined. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct high-resolution monitoring of airborne pathogens to understand the exposure-response relationship and study the mechanisms.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuanyuan Yu, Jiahui Huang, Ling Jin, Miao Yu, Xiaolong Yu, Xifen Zhu, Jianteng Sun, Lizhong Zhu
Summary: Tricresyl phosphate (TCP) is commonly used as a flame retardant and plasticizer, but it poses risks to organisms and humans. This study investigated the translocation and biotransformation of three isomers of TCP in rice and rhizosphere microbiome. The results showed that TpCP and TmCP were more likely to be translocated in rice compared to ToCP. The rhizosphere microbiome was found to reduce the uptake of TCP isomers in rice and promote rice growth. New metabolites were identified in rice and microbiome, including hydrolysis, hydroxylation, methylation, demethylation, methoxylation, and glucuronidation products. It was also discovered that demethylation of TCPs can be an important source of triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) in the environment, which challenges the traditional understanding that TPHP is only man-made. The microbial consortium GY was revealed as an active member in TCP degradation, with different strains and function genes responsible for the transformation of TCP isomers. These findings enhance our understanding of the translocation and transformation of organic pollutant isomers in plants and rhizosphere microbiome.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuanyuan Yu, Xiaolong Yu, Dongqing Zhang, Ling Jin, Jiahui Huang, Xifen Zhu, Jianteng Sun, Miao Yu, Lizhong Zhu
Summary: The biotransformation behavior and toxicity of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in rice and rhizosphere microbiomes were studied. New metabolites were identified in rice and rhizosphere microbiomes. The interaction between rhizobacteria and plants played a role in OPE elimination. The metabolites perturbed key metabolic pathways in rice plants and Escherichia coli.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaowu Huang, Wenkui Mi, Yuen Him Chan, Shubham Singh, Huichuan Zhuang, Shao-Yuan Leu, Xiang-zhong Li, Xiangdong Li, Po-Heng Lee
Summary: Using seawater for toilet flushing can save scarce freshwater resources in densely-populated coastal cities like Hong Kong. Saline sewage treatment using energy-efficient anammox-based processes shows great potential, but its feasibility is still uncertain. This study successfully operated a pilot-scale anammox process in a granular activated carbon fluidized-bed membrane bioreactor (FMBR) with only inoculating saline anaerobic digestion sludge, achieving comparable nitrogen removal rates while treating real chemically enhanced primary treatment saline sewage.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Huanhuan Xing, Xiaolong Yu, Jianteng Sun, Guining Lu, Minghan Zhu, Jiahao Liang, Ling Jin, Lizhong Zhu
Summary: This study reveals the transformation pathways and phytotoxicity mechanism of phthalate ester in rice, providing important information on environmental risks and crop safety related to plasticizer pollution. It identifies intermediate transformation products and proteins associated with different metabolic activities in rice plants exposed to di-n-butylphthalate (DnBP). Furthermore, it shows the perturbation of key metabolic pathways and molecular functions in plants exposed to its primary metabolite mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP). These findings highlight the potential risks posed by the degradation intermediates of DnBP and raise concerns for crop safety.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jinli Cui, Jinsu Yang, Mischa Weber, Jia Yan, Ruohong Li, Tingshan Chan, Yi Jiang, Tangfu Xiao, Xiaoyan Li, Xiangdong Li
Summary: The interactions between phosphate and an iron-titanium coprecipitated oxide composite were studied, and the removal and recovery of phosphate were confirmed through experiments with real wastewater. At pH 7, the presence of calcium significantly increased the removal of phosphate by precipitating it as hydroxyapatite. Acetate had no influence on phosphate removal capacity and molecular mechanisms. At pH 4, the presence of acetate and high calcium concentration facilitated the formation of amorphous FePO4 precipitate. The Fe-Ti composite decreased the formation of amorphous FePO4 and facilitated phosphate recovery.
Editorial Material
Engineering, Environmental
Xiangdong Li, Ian T. Cousins, Keri C. Hornbuckle
ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiang Xiao, Ruixia Liu, Yunjiang Yu, Zheng Zhang, Luke D. Knibbs, Bin Jalaludin, Lidia Morawska, Shyamali C. Dharmage, Joachim Heinrich, Stefania Papatheodorou, Yuming Guo, Yangyang Xu, Ling Jin, Yike Guo, Wentao Yue, Jilong Yao, Yue Zhang, Chengrong Wang, Shen Gao, Enjie Zhang, Shaofei Su, Tong Zhu, Guang-Hui Dong, Meng Gao, Chenghong Yin
Summary: Perinatal exposure to heat and air pollution increases the risk of preterm birth (PTB), especially in heavily polluted regions like China. This study analyzed data from the China Birth Cohort Study and found that maternal exposure to PM2.5, NO2, O-3, and extreme temperatures during the third trimester were independently associated with increased PTB risk. Interactive effects were observed between PM2.5 and high temperature, O-3 and high temperature, and O-3 and low temperature. These findings have important implications for future research and public health policies.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dong Wu, Jiawen Xie, Yangying Liu, Ling Jin, Guiying Li, Taicheng An
Summary: Urban ambient air contains antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) emitted from various anthropogenic sites. This study found that the ARGs in the air exhibit site-specificity, with the most apparent resistance found in hospital air. The majority of the site-specific resistant genes were identified as pathogenic taxa, highlighting the enduring antibiotic resistance hazards in urban air.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhiwei Huang, Kassahun Haile, Lealem Gedefaw, Benson Wui-Man Lau, Ling Jin, Shea Ping Yip, Chien-Ling Huang
Summary: This meta-analysis study found that COVID-19 patients have significantly higher levels of GFAP and NfL, and non-survivors have even higher levels. This indicates a significant association between the severity of COVID-19 and elevated levels of GFAP and NfL, suggesting that GFAP and NfL could serve as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers for COVID-19-related neurological injuries.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ru Fang, Tian Chen, Zhibang Han, Wenhui Ji, Yudan Bai, Zhipeng Zheng, Yinglong Su, Ling Jin, Bing Xie, Dong Wu
Summary: This study analyzes the bacterial community of air particulates and throat swabs in the waste treatment chain in Shanghai, China. They found that the composition and abundance of airborne bacteria varied greatly during the treatment, especially in winter. The study also identified specific bacteria associated with the inhalable risks to neighboring communities, suggesting a potential spread of pathogens to on-site workers.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Di Wu, Haotian Zheng, Qing Li, Shuxiao Wang, Bin Zhao, Ling Jin, Rui Lyu, Shengyue Li, Yuzhe Liu, Xiu Chen, Fenfen Zhang, Qingru Wu, Tonghao Liu, Jingkun Jiang, Lin Wang, Xiangdong Li, Jianmin Chen, Jiming Hao
Summary: This article proposes a health-oriented air pollution control strategy that takes into account the varying toxicities of PMs from different sources. Compared to the current mass-based control strategy, the health-oriented strategy can significantly reduce exposure risks and has lower costs in polluting industries in China.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhichao Dong, Chandra Mouli Pavuluri, Zhanjie Xu, Yu Wang, Peisen Li, Pingqing Fu, Cong-Qiang Liu
Summary: In this study, we collected PM2.5 and analyzed its composition and stable isotope ratios in Tianjin, China. The results showed higher concentrations of PM2.5, organic carbon, elemental carbon, and water-soluble organic carbon in winter compared to summer. The dominant ions were SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+, with different seasonal variations. Coal and biomass combustion emissions were the major sources of PM2.5 in autumn and winter, while terrestrial and/or marine biological emissions were important in spring and summer.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
