Joint effects of bacterium and biochar in remediation of antibiotic-heavy metal contaminated soil and responses of resistance gene and microbial community

Soils containing both veterinary antibiotics (VAs) and heavy metals necessitate effective remediation approaches, and microbial and molecular levels of the results should be further examined. Here, a novel material combining waste fungus chaff-based biochar (WFCB) and Herbaspirillum huttiense (HHS1) was established to immobilize copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) and degrade oxytetracycline (OTC) and enrofloxacin (ENR). Results showed that the combined material exhibited high immobilization of Cu (85.5%) and Zn (64.4%) and great removals of OTC (41.9%) and ENR (40.7%). Resistance genes including tet(PB), tetH, tetR, tetS, tetT, tetM, aacA/aphD, aacC, aadA9, and czcA were reduced. Abundances of potential hosts of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) including phylum Proteobacteria and genera Brevundimonas and Rhodanobacter were altered. Total phosphorus and pH were the factors driving the VA degrading microorganisms and potential hosts of ARGs. The combination of WFCB and HHS1 can serve as an important bioresource for immobilizing heavy metals and removing VAs in the contaminated soil.

Automated summary

A novel material combining waste fungus chaff-based biochar (WFCB) and Herbaspirillum huttiense (HHS1) was established to immobilize copper and zinc and degrade oxytetracycline and enrofloxacin in soils containing both veterinary antibiotics and heavy metals. The combined material showed high immobilization of copper and zinc and significant removal of oxytetracycline and enrofloxacin. In addition, the material reduced the abundance of certain resistance genes and altered the potential hosts of antibiotic resistance genes.