The removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes by sulfidated nanoscale zero-valent iron activating periodate: Efficacy and mechanism

Li Liang; Guosheng Zhang; Xuening Dai; Weiying Li

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.116829

The removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes by sulfidated nanoscale zero-valent iron activating periodate: Efficacy and mechanism

Environ Res. 2023 Nov 1;236(Pt 2):116829. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116829. Epub 2023 Aug 5.

Authors

Li Liang¹, Guosheng Zhang¹, Xuening Dai¹, Weiying Li²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment of the Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China. Electronic address: 123lwyktz@tongji.edu.cn.

PMID: 37544470
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116829

Abstract

Antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have drawn much more attention due to their high risk on human health and ecosystem. In this study, the performance of sulfidated nanoscale zero-valent iron (S-nZVI)/periodate (PI) system toward ARB inactivation and ARGs removal was systematically investigated. The S-nZVI/PI system could realize the complete inactivation of 1 × 10⁸ CFU/mL kanamycin, ampicillin, and tetracycline-resistant E. coli HB101 within 40 min, meanwhile, possessed the ability to remove the intracellular ARGs (iARGs) (including aphA, tetA, and tnpA) carried by E. coli HB101. Specifically, the removal of aphA, tetA, and tnpA by S-nZVI/PI system after 40 min reaction was 0.31, 0.47, and 0.39 log₁₀copies/mL, respectively. The reactive species attributed to the E. coli HB101 inactivation were HO^• and O₂^•-, which could cause the destruction of E. coli HB101 morphology and enzyme system (such as superoxide dismutase and catalase), the loss of intracellular substances, and the damage of iARGs. Moreover, the influence of the dosage of PI and S-nZVI, the initial concentration of E. coli HB101, as well as the co-existing substance (such as HCO₃^-, NO₃^-, and humic acid (HA)) on the inactivation of E. coli HB101 and its corresponding iARGs removal was also conducted. It was found that the high dosage of PI and S-nZVI and the low concentration of E. coli HB101 could enhance the disinfection performance of S-nZVI/PI system. The presence of HCO₃^-, NO₃^-, and HA in S-nZVI/PI system showed inhibiting role on the inactivation of E. coli HB101 and its corresponding iARGs removal. Overall, this study demonstrates the superiority of S-nZVI/PI system toward ARB inactivation and ARGs removal.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance genes; Antibiotic resistant bacteria; Inactivation; Periodate; Sulfidated nanoscale zero-valent iron.