Impacts of advanced treatment processes on elimination of antibiotic resistance genes in a municipal wastewater treatment plant

doi:10.1007/s11783-019-1116-5

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.

2019, Vol. 13

Issue (3) : 32 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-019-1116-5

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Impacts of advanced treatment processes on elimination of antibiotic resistance genes in a municipal wastewater treatment plant

Lian Yang¹, Qinxue Wen¹, Zhiqiang Chen²(

), Ran Duan¹, Pan Yang²

¹. State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology (SKLUWRE, HIT), Harbin 150090, China
². National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China

Download: PDF(1056 KB) HTML
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

The distributions of ARGs were monitored in a WWTP in Harbin during six months.

CASS had the best removal efficacy of ARGs compared to other processes in the WWTP.

UV disinfection could effectively control the HGT.

AGAC significantly remove ARGs and organics due to its high absorption capacity.

Combination of ozone and AGAC significantly improve removal of ARGs and organics.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) pose a serious threat to public health. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are essential for controlling the release of ARGs into the environment. This study investigated ARG distribution at every step in the treatment process of a municipal WWTP located in Harbin for six consecutive months. Changes in ARG distribution involved in two advanced secondary effluent treatment processes, ozonation and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption, were analyzed. Biological treatment resulted in the highest ARG removal (0.76–1.94 log reduction), followed by ultraviolet (UV) disinfection (less than 0.5-log reduction). Primary treatment could not significantly remove ARGs. ARG removal efficiency increased with an increase in the ozone dose below 40 mg/L. However, amorphous GAC (AGAC) adsorption with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1 h showed better removal of ARGs, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) than ozonation at a 60 mg/L dose. UV treatment could efficiently reduce the relative ARG abundance, despite presenting the lowest efficiency for the reduction of absolute ARG abundance compared with GAC and ozone treatments. The combination of ozone and AGAC can significantly improve the removal of ARGs, TOC, TN and TP. These results indicate that a treatment including biological processing, ozonation, and AGAC adsorption is a promising strategy for removing ARGs and refractory organic substances from sewage.

Keywords Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) Ultraviolet (UV) Ozonation Granular activated carbon (GAC)

Corresponding Author(s): Zhiqiang Chen

Issue Date: 05 May 2019

Cite this article:

Lian Yang,Qinxue Wen,Zhiqiang Chen, et al. Impacts of advanced treatment processes on elimination of antibiotic resistance genes in a municipal wastewater treatment plant[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2019, 13(3): 32.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-019-1116-5
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2019/V13/I3/32

Fig.1 (a) WWTP processes and sampling sites: (A) after the coarse screen, (B) after the fine screen, (C) after the grit chamber, (D) after the sedimentation tank, (E) after CASS, and (F) after UV disinfection. Configuration of post-treatments: (b) Ozone disinfection, (c) Granular activated carbon.

Tab.1 Physical characteristics of the activated carbon used in this study

Fig.2 Distribution of ARGs in the wastewater under different treatment processes (A, B, C, D, E, F represent the sampling locations after the coarse screen, the fine screen, the grit chamber, the sedimentation tank, CASS, and UV disinfection, respectively).

Fig.3 Non-metric multidimensional scaling of ARG across the wastewater treatment process (A, B, C, D, E, F represent the sampling locations, ①, ②, ③, ④, and ⑤ represent the treatment processes).

Fig.4 Removal of ARGs by ozone disinfection.

Fig.5 Removal of ARGs by activated carbon treatments

Fig.6 Comparison of different advanced treatments for ARG removal.

1	JAlexander, G Knopp, ADötsch, AWieland, TSchwartz (2016). Ozone treatment of conditioned wastewater selects antibiotic resistance genes, opportunistic bacteria, and induce strong population shifts. Science of the Total Environment, 559: 103–112
2	JAltmann, A S Ruhl, F Zietzschmann, MJekel (2014). Direct comparison of ozonation and adsorption onto powdered activated carbon for micropollutant removal in advanced wastewater treatment. Water Research, 55: 185–193
3	E AAuerbach, E E Seyfried, K D McMahon (2007). Tetracycline resistance genes in activated sludge wastewater treatment plants. Water Research, 41: 1143–1151
4	FBonvin, L Jost, LRandin, EBonvin, TKohn (2016). Super-fine powdered activated carbon (SPAC) for efficient removal of micropollutants from wastewater treatment plant effluent. Water Research, 90: 90–99
5	SBörjesson, S Melin, AMatussek, PLindgren (2009). A seasonal study of the mecA gene and Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin-resistant S. aureus in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Water Research, 43: 925–932
6	FCataldo (2006). DNA degradation with ozone. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 38: 248–254
7	P HChang, B Juhrend, T MOlson, C FMarrs, K RWigginton (2017). Degradation of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes with UV254 treatment. Environmental Science & Technology, 51(11): 6185–6192
8	HChen, M Zhang (2013). Effects of advanced treatment systems on the removal of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment plants from Hangzhou, China. Environmental Science & Technology, 47: 8157–8163
9	NCzekalski, S Imminger, ESalhi, MVeljkovic, KKleffel, DDrissner, FHammes, HBürgmann, UVon Gunten (2016). Inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistance genes by ozone: From laboratory experiments to full-scale wastewater treatment. Environmental Science & Technology, 50: 11862–11871
10	J PDietrich, F J Loge, T R Ginn, H Başagaoglu (2007). Inactivation of particle-associated microorganisms in wastewater disinfection: Modeling of ozone and chlorine reactive diffusive transport in polydispersed suspensions. Water Research, 41: 2189–2201
11	M CDodd (2012). Potential impacts of disinfection processes on elimination and deactivation of antibiotic resistance genes during water and wastewater treatment. Journal of Envormental Monitoring, 14: 1754–1771
12	PGao, D Mao, YLuo, LWang, B Xu, LXu (2012a). Occurrence of sulfonamide and tetracycline-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in aquaculture environment. Water Research, 46: 2355–2364
13	PGao, M Munir, IXagoraraki (2012b). Correlation of tetracycline and sulfonamide antibiotics with corresponding resistance genes and resistant bacteria in a conventional municipal wastewater treatment plant. Science of the Total Environment, 421: 173–183
14	OGolovko, V Kumar, GFedorova, TRandak, RGrabic (2014). Seasonal changes in antibiotics, antidepressants/psychiatric drugs, antihistamines and lipid regulators in a wastewater treatment plant. Chemosphere, 111: 418–426
15	JHollender, S G Zimmermann, S Koepke, MKrauss, C SMcardell, COrt, H Singer, UVon Gunten, HSiegrist (2009). Elimination of organic micropollutants in a municipal wastewater treatment plant upgraded with a full-scale post-ozonation followed by sand filtration. Environmental Science & Technology, 43: 7862–7869
16	JHuang, H Hu, FTang, YLi, S Lu, YLu (2011). Inactivation and reactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by chlorination in secondary effluents of a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Water Research, 45: 2775–2781
17	C SJones, D J Osborne, J Stanley (1992). Enterobacterial tetracycline resistance in relation to plasmid incompatibility. Molecular and Cellular Probes, 6: 313–317
18	LKovalova, H Siegrist, UVon Gunten, JEugster, MHagenbuch, AWittmer, RMoser, C SMcArdell (2013). Elimination of micropollutants during post-treatment of hospital wastewater with powdered activated carbon, ozone, and UV. Environmental Science & Technology, 47: 7899–7908
19	JLee, J H Jeon, J Shin, H MJang, SKim, M S Song, Y M Kim (2017). Quantitative and qualitative changes in antibiotic resistance genes after passing through treatment processes in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Science of the Total Environment, 605: 906–914
20	WLin, S Li, SZhang, XYu (2016). Reduction in horizontal transfer of conjugative plasmid by UV irradiation and low-level chlorination. Water Research, 91: 331–338
21	YLuo, D Q Mao, M Rysz, D XZhou, H JZhang, LXu, P Alvarez (2010). Trends in antibiotic resistance genes occurrence in the Haihe River, China. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(19SI): 7220–7225
22	DMao, Y Luo, JMathieu, QWang, L Feng, QMu, CFeng, P Alvarez (2013). Persistence of extracellular DNA in river sediment facilitates antibiotic resistance gene propagation. Environmental Science & Technology, 48: 71–78
23	JMargot, C Kienle, AMagnet, MWeil, L Rossi, L FDe Alencastro, CAbegglen, DThonney, NChèvre, MSchärer (2013). Treatment of micropollutants in municipal wastewater: Ozone or powdered activated carbon? Science of the Total Environment, 461: 480–498
24	C WMcKinney, A Pruden (2012). Ultraviolet disinfection of antibiotic resistant bacteria and their antibiotic resistance genes in water and wastewater. Environmental Science & Technology, 46: 13393–13400
25	JOh, D E Salcedo, C A Medriano, S Kim (2014). Comparison of different disinfection processes in the effective removal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes. Journal of Environmental Sciences (China), 26: 1238–1242
26	AOsińska, M Harnisz, EKorzeniewska (2016). Prevalence of plasmid-mediated multidrug resistance determinants in fluoroquinolone-resistant bacteria isolated from sewage and surface water. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 23: 10818–10831
27	RPei, J Cha, K HCarlson, APruden (2007). Response of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) to biological treatment in dairy lagoon water. Environmental Science & Technology, 41: 5108–5113
28	LRizzo, C Manaia, CMerlin, TSchwartz, CDagot, M CPloy, IMichael, DFatta-Kassinos (2013). Urban wastewater treatment plants as hotspots for antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes spread into the environment: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 447: 345–360
29	M NRojas-Valencia (2011). Research on ozone application as disinfectant and action mechanisms on wastewater microorganisms. In: Mendez-Vilas A, Ed. Science Against Microbial Pathogens: Communicating Current Research and Technological Advances. Microbiology Book Series-Number 3, vol. 1. FORMATEX, Spain, 263–271
30	J MSousa, G Macedo, MPedrosa, CBecerra-Castro, SCastro-Silva, M F RPereira, A MSilva, O CNunes, C MManaia (2017). Ozonation and UV254 nm radiation for the removal of microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes from urban wastewater. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 323: 434–441
31	KSparbier, S Schubert, UWeller, CBoogen, MKostrzewa (2012). Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry-based functional assay for rapid detection of resistance against-lactam antibiotics. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 50: 927–937
32	RStepanauskas, T C Glenn, C H Jagoe, R C Tuckfield, A H Lindell, C J King, J V McArthur (2006). Coselection for microbial resistance to metals and antibiotics in freshwater microcosms. Environmental Microbiology, 8: 1510–1514
33	RSzczepanowski, S Braun, VRiedel, SSchneiker, IKrahn, APühler, ASchlüter (2005). The 120 592 bp IncF plasmid pRSB107 isolated from a sewage-treatment plant encodes nine different antibiotic-resistance determinants, two iron-acquisition systems and other putative virulence-associated functions. Microbiology, 151: 1095–1111
34	QWen, L Yang, RDuan, ZChen (2016). Monitoring and evaluation of antibiotic resistance genes in four municipal wastewater treatment plants in Harbin, Northeast China. Environmental Pollution, 212: 34–40
35	QWen, L Yang, YZhao, LHuang, ZChen (2018). Insight into effects of antibiotics on reactor performance and evolutions of antibiotic resistance genes and microbial community in a membrane reactor. Chemosphere, 197: 420–429
36	WZhai, F Yang, DMao, YLuo (2016). Fate and removal of various antibiotic resistance genes in typical pharmaceutical wastewater treatment systems. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 23: 12030–12038
37	YZhang, A Li, TDai, FLi, H Xie, LChen, DWen (2017). Cell-free DNA: A neglected source for antibiotic resistance genes spreading from WWTPs. Environmental Science & Technology, 52: 248–257
38	JZheng, C Su, JZhou, LXu, Y Qian, HChen (2017). Effects and mechanisms of ultraviolet, chlorination, and ozone disinfection on antibiotic resistance genes in secondary effluents of municipal wastewater treatment plants. Chemical Engineering Journal, 317: 309–316

[1]

Download

[1]	Mengqing Ge, Tao Lin, Kemei Zhou, Hong Chen, Hang Xu, Hui Tao, Wei Chen. Characteristics and removal mechanism of the precursors of N-chloro-2,2-dichloroacetamide in a drinking water treatment process at Taihu Lake[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2021, 15(5): 93-.
[2]	Xinshu Liu, Xiaoman Su, Sijie Tian, Yue Li, Rongfang Yuan. Mechanisms for simultaneous ozonation of sulfamethoxazole and natural organic matters in secondary effluent from sewage treatment plant[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2021, 15(4): 75-.
[3]	Xiaojie Shi, Zhuo Chen, Yun Lu, Qi Shi, Yinhu Wu, Hong-Ying Hu. Significant increase of assimilable organic carbon (AOC) levels in MBR effluents followed by coagulation, ozonation and combined treatments: Implications for biostability control of reclaimed water[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2021, 15(4): 68-.
[4]	Bei Ye, Zhuo Chen, Xinzheng Li, Jianan Liu, Qianyuan Wu, Cheng Yang, Hongying Hu, Ronghe Wang. Inhibition of bromate formation by reduced graphene oxide supported cerium dioxide during ozonation of bromide-containing water[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2019, 13(6): 86-.
[5]	Jiuhui Qu, Hongchen Wang, Kaijun Wang, Gang Yu, Bing Ke, Han-Qing Yu, Hongqiang Ren, Xingcan Zheng, Ji Li, Wen-Wei Li, Song Gao, Hui Gong. Municipal wastewater treatment in China: Development history and future perspectives[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2019, 13(6): 88-.
[6]	Yuhan Zheng, Zhiguo Su, Tianjiao Dai, Feifei Li, Bei Huang, Qinglin Mu, Chuanping Feng, Donghui Wen. Identifying human-induced influence on microbial community: A comparative study in the effluent-receiving areas in Hangzhou Bay[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2019, 13(6): 90-.
[7]	Menglu Zhang, Sheng Chen, Xin Yu, Peter Vikesland, Amy Pruden. Degradation of extracellular genomic, plasmid DNA and specific antibiotic resistance genes by chlorination[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2019, 13(3): 38-.
[8]	Tianyi Chen, Wancong Gu, Gen Li, Qiuying Wang, Peng Liang, Xiaoyuan Zhang, Xia Huang. Significant enhancement in catalytic ozonation efficacy: From granular to super-fine powdered activated carbon[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2018, 12(1): 6-.
[9]	Shraddha Khamparia,Dipika Kaur Jaspal. Adsorption in combination with ozonation for the treatment of textile waste water: a critical review[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2017, 11(1): 8-.
[10]	Jiaxuan YANG, Jun MA, Dan SONG, Xuedong ZHAI, Xiujuan KONG. Impact of preozonation on the bioactivity and biodiversity of subsequent biofilters under low temperature conditions—A pilot study[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2016, 10(4): 5-.
[11]	Xinwei LI,Hanchang SHI,Kuixiao LI,Liang ZHANG. Combined process of biofiltration and ozone oxidation as an advanced treatment process for wastewater reuse[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2015, 9(6): 1076-1083.
[12]	Huan HE,Qian SUI,Shuguang LU,Wentao ZHAO,Zhaofu QIU,Gang YU. Effect of effluent organic matter on ozonation of bezafibrate[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2015, 9(6): 962-969.
[13]	Hong SUN,Min SUN,Yaobin ZHANG,Xie QUAN. Catalytic ozonation of reactive red X-3B in aqueous solution under low pressure: decolorization and OH· generation[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2015, 9(4): 591-595.
[14]	Jianbing WANG,Guoqing WANG,Chunli YANG,Shaoxia YANG,Qing HUANG. Catalytic ozonation of organic compounds in water over the catalyst of RuO₂/ZrO₂-CeO₂[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2015, 9(4): 615-624.
[15]	Eunsung KAN,Chang-Il KOH,Kyunghyuk LEE,Joonwun KANG. Decomposition of aqueous chlorinated contaminants by UV irradiation with H₂O₂[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2015, 9(3): 429-435.

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed