Simultaneous removal of sulfamethoxazole during fermentative production of short-chain fatty acids

Yue Wang; Rongrong Lin; Yushuang Cao; Shuangfei Li; Rong Cui; Wanqian Guo; Shih-Hsin Ho; Yoong Kit Leong; Duu-Jong Lee; Jo-Shu Chang

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129317

Simultaneous removal of sulfamethoxazole during fermentative production of short-chain fatty acids

Bioresour Technol. 2023 Sep:384:129317. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129317. Epub 2023 Jun 12.

Authors

Yue Wang¹, Rongrong Lin¹, Yushuang Cao¹, Shuangfei Li², Rong Cui¹, Wanqian Guo³, Shih-Hsin Ho³, Yoong Kit Leong⁴, Duu-Jong Lee⁵, Jo-Shu Chang⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental and Materials Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264000, China.
² College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan; Research Center for Smart Sustainable Circular Economy, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tang, Hong Kong.
⁶ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan; Research Center for Smart Sustainable Circular Economy, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan; Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li, Taiwan. Electronic address: changjs@mail.ncku.edu.tw.

PMID: 37315625
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129317

Abstract

This study explores the simultaneous sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production by a Clostridium sensu stricto-dominated microbial consortium. SMX is a commonly prescribed and persistent antimicrobial agent frequently detected in aquatic environments, while the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes limits the biological removal of SMX. Under strictly anaerobic conditions, sequencing batch cultivation coupled with co-metabolism resulted in the production of butyric acid, valeric acid, succinic acid, and caproic acid. Continuous cultivation in a CSTR achieved a maximum butyric acid production rate and yield of 0.167 g/L/h and 9.56 mg/g COD, respectively, while achieving a maximum SMX degradation rate and removal capacity of 116.06 mg/L/h and 55.8 g SMX/g biomass. Furthermore, continuous anaerobic fermentation reduced sul genes prevalence, thus limiting the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes during antibiotic degradation. These findings suggest a promising approach for efficient antibiotic elimination while simultaneously producing valuable products (e.g., SCFAs).

Keywords: Antibiotics; Clostridium sensu stricto; Microbial consortium; Short chain fatty acid; Sul gene; Sulfamethoxazole.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents*
Butyric Acid
Fatty Acids, Volatile
Fermentation
Sulfamethoxazole*

Substances

Sulfamethoxazole
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Fatty Acids, Volatile
Butyric Acid