Microbial community and carbon-nitrogen metabolism pathways in integrated vertical flow constructed wetlands treating wastewater containing antibiotics

Miaowen Qu; Ying Liu; Mengqing Hao; Mengting Wang; Rong Chen; Xiaochang C Wang; Yucong Zheng; Mawuli Dzakpasu

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127217

Microbial community and carbon-nitrogen metabolism pathways in integrated vertical flow constructed wetlands treating wastewater containing antibiotics

Bioresour Technol. 2022 Jun:354:127217. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127217. Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Authors

Miaowen Qu¹, Ying Liu¹, Mengqing Hao¹, Mengting Wang¹, Rong Chen², Xiaochang C Wang³, Yucong Zheng⁴, Mawuli Dzakpasu³

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, PR China.
² Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, PR China.
³ Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, PR China; International Science & Technology Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, PR China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, PR China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, PR China. Electronic address: yucong.zheng@xauat.edu.cn.

PMID: 35470002
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127217

Abstract

This study demonstrates effects of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on carbon-nitrogen transformation pathways and microbial community and metabolic function response mechanisms in constructed wetlands. Findings showed co-metabolism of SMX with organic pollutants resulted in high removal of 98.92 ± 0.25% at influent concentrations of 103.08 ± 13.70 μg/L (SMX) and 601.92 ± 22.69 mg/L (COD), and 2 d hydraulic retention. Microbial community, co-occurrence networks, and metabolic pathways analyses showed SMX promoted enrichment of COD and SMX co-metabolizing bacteria like Mycobacterium, Chryseobacterium and Comamonas. Relative abundances of co-metabolic pathways like Amino acid, carbohydrate, and Xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism were elevated. SMX also increased relative abundances of the resistant heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria Paracoccus and Comamonas and functional genes nxrA, narI, norC and nosZ involved in simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification. Consequently, denitrification rate increased by 1.30 mg/(L∙d). However, insufficient reaction substrate and accumulation of 15.29 ± 2.30 mg/L NO₃^--N exacerbate inhibitory effects of SMX on expression of some denitrification genes.

Keywords: Antibiotic; Carbon-nitrogen; Integrated vertical-flow constructed wetland; Microbial community; Spatial distribution.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Bacteria / genetics
Carbon
Denitrification
Microbiota*
Nitrification
Nitrogen / analysis
Sulfamethoxazole
Wastewater / chemistry
Wetlands*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Waste Water
Carbon
Sulfamethoxazole
Nitrogen