Article
Environmental Sciences
Yanchu Ke, Wenjun Sun, Zibo Jing, Yin Zhu, Zhinan Zhao, Shuguang Xie
Summary: This study explores the variation of antibiotic resistome in the drinking water supply system (DWSS) combined with seasonality. The dominant antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in DWSS are multidrug and bacitracin ARGs. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as integrase, plasmids, recombinase, and transposase co-exist with ARGs. Filtration and disinfection treatments can alter the abundance of ARGs by changing the abundance of ARG hosts influenced by water total organic carbon (TOC) content.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaole Yin, Liguan Li, Xi Chen, Yang-Yu Liu, Tommy Tsan-Yuk Lam, Edward Topp, Tong Zhang
Summary: This study retrieved resistome profiles from various habitats and benchmarked their features. The results showed that wastewater and wastewater treatment works harbored more diverse genotypes of ARGs, while fecal samples had higher ARG abundance. Bacterial taxonomy composition was significantly correlated with resistome composition. The study also developed a resistome-based microbial attribution prediction model to identify source-sink connectivities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qingqing Zhao, Huan He, Kuo Gao, Tian Li, Bingzhi Dong
Summary: This study used metagenomic assembly and network analysis to examine the resistome profile, mobility, host, and pathogenicity in two drinking water treatment plants. The results showed that both conventional and advanced DWTPs effectively reduced the concentration of total ARGs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yanchu Ke, Wenjun Sun, Xiuli Chen, Ying Zhu, Xu Guo, Weixin Yan, Shuguang Xie
Summary: In this study, the microbial community and antibiotic resistome in biofilms formed in a pilot-scale chlorinated drinking water distribution system (DWDS) were investigated using metagenome assembly. The evolution of the biofilm microbiome and antibiotic resistome over a period of 10 months was explored, with the aim of ensuring the safety of drinking water. The results revealed that the sampling season played a critical role in shaping the microbial community and antibiotic resistome in the biofilms. Pseudomonas was identified as the primary biofilm colonizer, and the diversity of biofilms increased with longer formation time. Most genera showed a tendency to cooperate and adapt to the disinfectant stress in an oligotrophic environment. The assembly of the biofilm microbial community and antibiotic resistome was primarily determined by stochastic processes and varied with the season. Metagenome assembly provided valuable information about the occurrence and fate of mobile gene elements (MGEs) co-existing with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their hosts in the biofilms. It was found that Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a pathogen carrying ARGs and MGEs, was more abundant in summer. Notably, the microbial community was identified as the most crucial factor driving the shift in antibiotic resistance. These findings offer novel insights into the evolution of pathogens and ARGs in DWDS biofilms, contributing to the safety of drinking water.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zishu Liu, Yuxiang Zhao, Baofeng Zhang, Jiaqi Wang, Lizhong Zhu, Baolan Hu
Summary: Soil is the major reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), particularly multidrug efflux pump genes, which have raised concerns due to their high prevalence in natural soil ecosystems. This study examined the influence of soil pH on the selection and composition of multidrug efflux pump genes in soil resistomes. The findings indicate that acidic soil environments significantly enrich multidrug efflux pump genes, reflecting the benefits of high soil proton activity on these genes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qi Zhang, Nuohan Xu, Chaotang Lei, Bingfeng Chen, Tingzhang Wang, Yunting Ma, Tao Lu, Josep Penuelas, Michael Gillings, Yong-Guan Zhu, Zhengwei Fu, Haifeng Qian
Summary: The global crisis in antimicrobial resistance continues to grow, with human feces found to be broadly representative of the global resistome and potentially a hub for accumulating and disseminating resistance genes across different habitats.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fengxia Yang, Xiaolong Wang, Xueli Tian, Zulin Zhang, Kai Zhang, Keqiang Zhang
Summary: In this study, the impacts of earthworm-converted livestock manure on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the earthworm gut were investigated. The results showed that livestock manure significantly increased the abundance of ARGs in the foregut and midgut of earthworms, but decreased in the hindgut. Copper had little effect on ARGs in the earthworm gut. Additionally, copper in wormcast significantly increased the abundance of ARGs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Paul Jankowski, Jaydon Gan, Tri Le, Michaela McKennitt, Audrey Garcia, Kadir Yanac, Qiuyan Yuan, Miguel Uyaguari-Diaz
Summary: This study characterized the resistome, distribution of integron-integrase genes, and bacterial/phage community compositions in a sewage treatment plant. The results showed successful reduction of bacteria, phage, and antibiotic resistance genes in effluent and biosolids, but the presence of integron-integrase genes suggested ongoing dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes between environmental and pathogenic bacteria.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Maozhen Han, Lu Zhang, Na Zhang, Yujie Mao, Zhangjie Peng, Binbin Huang, Yan Zhang, Zhi Wang
Summary: The study investigated the characteristics and influencing factors of antibiotic resistance genes in urban drinking water sources, proposing an antibiotic resistome risk index (ARRI) to estimate the potential risks of ARGs. The interactions among mobile genetic elements, human bacterial pathogens, and ARGs were considered in determining the spread of ARGs. Overall, the research provides insights into managing similar lakes by analyzing ARG compositions and associated factors.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Taijia Li, Xinyang Yu, Mi Li, Lingling Rong, Xiaoyu Xiao, Xiaoming Zou
Summary: The mining activity of rare earth elements has caused serious impact on soil ecosystems, however, the understanding of antibiotic resistome in these soils is still limited. In this study, metagenomic analysis was used to investigate the antibiotic resistome in ion-adsorption rare earth mining soils in south China. The results revealed the abundance, driving factors, and ecological assembly of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in these soils. The study found a prevalence of ARGs conferring resistance to various antibiotics, and identified physicochemical properties, taxonomy, and mobile genetic elements as important factors influencing the antibiotic resistome. The ecological assembly of antibiotic resistome was determined to be primarily governed by stochastic processes. This work contributes to our understanding of antibiotic resistome in ion-adsorption rare earth-related soils and provides insights for mitigating ARGs, mining management, and mine restoration.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yongjing Guan, Xue Xue, Jia Jia, Xuening Li, Haoran Xing, Zaizhao Wang
Summary: This study analyzed the genes in water samples and Hemiculter leucisculus samples to understand the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and the impact on fish gut microbiomes due to human activities. The results showed that ARG abundance decreased in water microbiomes along the environmental gradient, while it increased in fish gut microbiomes. Plasmids played a role in enhancing the spread of ARGs and the co-transfer potential of ARGs and metal resistance genes (MRGs) under anthropogenic pressures. The study also found that anthropogenic contamination affected fish gut resistome mainly by influencing ARG host bacteria in water microbiomes.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Mian Gul Hilal, Binghua Han, Qiaoling Yu, Tianshu Feng, Wanghong Su, Xiangkai Li, Huan Li
Summary: Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a significant environmental hazard in the current age. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are the fundamental units that spread AR in the environment, potentially transferring from non-pathogenic to pathogenic microbes. China, as the largest producer and consumer of antibiotics, poses a potential threat of developing superbugs and disseminating ARGs. This review comprehensively examines ARGs in China's drinking water sources, evaluating their origin, influencing factors, and the risk posed. It also outlines mitigation strategies. The findings of this review can help policymakers and scientists address this problem urgently.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingyang Luo, Xiaoshi Cheng, Yinglong Su, Le Zhang, Wei Du, Xingchen Bao, Wenxuan Huang, Qian Feng, Jiashun Cao, Yang Wu
Summary: This study demonstrated the type-dependent effects of surfactants on the reduction of antibiotic resistance genes in waste activated sludge (WAS), showing impacts such as altering microbial communities, increasing cell permeability to release ARGs, and down-regulating metabolic pathways involved in ARG dissemination. These findings provide insights into the interactive functions of exogenous chemicals in multiple matrices.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojian Wu, Zongbao Liu, Meng Li, Mark Bartlam, Yingying Wang
Summary: In this study, the occurrence, abundance, and transcriptional level of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), plasmid associated ARGs, microbial composition, and ARG bacterial hosts were analyzed in the plastisphere and urban river water. The results showed that the plastisphere is a hotspot for acquisition, expression, and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shahbaz Raza, Hyejun Jo, Jungman Kim, Hanseob Shin, Hor-Gil Hur, Tatsuya Unno
Summary: The study investigated the impact of urban wastewater treatment plant effluents on receiving water in terms of resistomes and mobilomes. The effluent samples showed the highest abundance and diversity of ARGs, including clinically important ones, while upstream water samples did not. Plasmid-mediated ARGs were most abundant in effluent samples, suggesting a higher transmissibility in downstream environments.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiuwen Zhang, Suwan Liu, Haohao Sun, Kailong Huang, Lin Ye
Summary: This study investigated the impact of adding different organic pollutants on the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in activated sludge. The results showed that antibiotics not only increased the abundance of ARGs, but also significantly changed their compositions. Gram-negative bacteria were found to be the main carriers of ARGs, and significant co-occurrence relationships between ARGs and mobile genetic elements were observed in the sludge samples.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaoqin Jiang, Peng Shi, Liujing Jiang, Jingfan Qiu, Bin Xu, Yang Pan, Qing Zhou
Summary: This study investigates the toxic effects of halophenolic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) on the liver. Using a combination of histopathologic and biochemical examination, liver transcriptome, serum metabolome, and gut microbiome analysis, the study reveals that halophenolic DBPs can cause liver inflammation, disturb immune-related pathways, and impair liver antioxidation and detoxification abilities.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuxuan Liu, Ling Chen, Jing Yu, Lin Ye, Haidong Hu, Jinfeng Wang, Bing Wu
Summary: The application of single-cell toxicogenomics in environmental toxicology has the potential to revolutionize the field. This technology offers high-resolution, high-throughput, and high-specificity analysis methods for identifying target cells of pollutants, studying the heterogeneous response of cell subtypes to pollutants, and discovering pathogenic bacteria in unknown microbes. These advances will contribute to improving our understanding of the physiological processes affected by pollutants and provide new methods for pollution control.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiuwen Li, Qiuyun Zhao, Aimin Li, Shuyu Jia, Zheng Wang, Ying Zhang, Wenhui Wang, Qing Zhou, Yang Pan, Peng Shi
Summary: This study investigates the spatiotemporal distribution and risks of neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) in surface water of the Yangtze River basin, and provides information for their regulation and supervision.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Haohao Sun, Juntao Xia, Bing Wu, Hongqiang Ren, Xuxiang Zhang, Lin Ye
Summary: This study reported an aerobic starvation approach to improve the degradation efficiencies of refractory organic compounds (ROCs) in activated sludge systems. The findings showed that the degradation ability of bisphenol A (BPA) was enhanced by increasing the relative abundance of BPA degrading bacteria, while the degradation of bisphenol AF (BPAF) and gabapentin (GBP) was attributed to the increase of the expression of ROC degrading genes.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiayu Zhang, Chao Yang, Jiahui Hu, Yiting Zhang, Yuezheng Lai, Hongri Gong, Fangliang Guo, Xiaoyan Li, Lin Ye, Bing Li
Summary: This study discovered a novel antibiotic resistance gene capO and elucidated its role in chloramphenicol resistance, indicating its potential mobility and accumulation in wastewater treatment, which provides important insights for tackling the antibiotic resistance crisis.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Qing Zhou, Yanhong Shen, Liben Chou, Jing Guo, Xiaowei Zhang, Wei Shi
Summary: This study developed a workflow using effect-directed analysis (EDA) to identify responsible contaminants in dust samples. GR antagonistic potencies were detected in 34.8% of the dust samples from 23 cities in China. The potencies were reduced after bioaccessible extraction. A high number of candidate chemical structures were removed using in silico candidate selection. Di-n-butyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, and nicotine were found to be responsible for the activities in both exhaustive and bioaccessible extracts of dust samples.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shuyu Jia, Xinran Gao, Yangyang Zhang, Peng Shi, Chen Wang, Qing Zhou, Lin Ye, Xu-Xiang Zhang
Summary: Although tertiary wastewater treatment processes (TWTPs) have high removal efficiency for chemical pollutants, their impact on microbial risk mitigation is uncertain. This study used metagenomic approaches to investigate the changes of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), virulence factor genes (VFGs), and their co-occurrence during multiple TWTPs. It was found that the denitrifying biofilter (DB) increased the abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and ARGs, as well as the relative abundance of ARGs and VFGs through the enrichment of multidrug resistance and offensive genes. Complementary microbial risk reduction was achieved through ultraviolet and constructed wetland treatment. The study provides new insights into the effects of TWTPs on the antibiotic resistome and VFG profiles, and aids in selecting appropriate TWTPs for microbial risk mitigation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ziang Zhang, Yan Ma, Aimin Li, Yang Pan, Qianqian Yao, Xiaorui Jia, Qing Zhou
Summary: In this study, a new resin NDAM was used to fractionate the hydrophilic components in natural organic matter (NOM) more thoroughly. The hydrophilic fractions separated by NDAM contained more disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors and showed significantly higher DBP productivity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiuwen Li, Xinran Gao, Aimin Li, Shuhui Xu, Qing Zhou, Lulu Zhang, Yang Pan, Wei Shi, Maoyong Song, Peng Shi
Summary: Halophenolic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are emerging pollutants that have adverse effects on human cells and need further exploration of molecular mechanisms. Substituting halophenolic DBPs with the same halogen leads to greater cytotoxicity when there are more substitution sites. Iodophenols are the most toxic, followed by bromo-phenols and chlorophenols when substituted at the same sites. Some of these DBPs showed significant endocrine-disrupting effects at sublethal concentrations.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuxuan Liu, Xin Ling, Runren Jiang, Ling Chen, Lin Ye, Yonghua Wang, Guanghua Lu, Bing Wu
Summary: This study establishes a new method for detecting microplastics from known materials, reporting that contact lenses can release microplastics and pose a risk to human health. The widespread use of plastic products leads to the prevalence of microplastics in daily life, but the release of microplastics from contact lenses has not been reported due to limitations in detection methods. The study highlights the urgent need to assess the potential health risks caused by eye exposure to microplastics.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yanyan Ma, Dongni Rui, Haonan Dong, Xuxiang Zhang, Lin Ye
Summary: This study investigated the bacterial communities in activated sludge samples from 966 bioreactors of various scales, revealing significant differences between full- and lab-scale reactors. Machine learning analysis identified organic matter and temperature as the primary factors affecting microbial communities. Transient bacterial species from other environments may also contribute to the observed differences. The bacterial community differences were verified by comparing lab-scale experiments to full-scale sampling.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ya-Ping Wu, Wen-Xiang Ji, Fei Liu, Wu-Qiang Wang, Min-Hui Cai, Ye-Chao Tian, Yan-Ting Zuo, Peng Shi, Yan Li, Wen-Tao Li, Ai-Min Li
Summary: This study used size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled with multiple detectors to analyze the dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Yangtze River and its tributaries. The results showed that the DOM mainly consisted of proteinaceous biopolymers and humic substances. A characteristic fulvic-acid-like fluorophore was found in downstream tributaries, which originated from the discharge of residual naphthol and naphthylamine moieties in biologically treated textile wastewater. The occurrence of this fluorophore in the Yangtze River main stream suggested that the discharge of textile wastewater had altered the optical properties of riverine DOM, emphasizing the importance of advanced treatment processes.
