“…(Adapted with permission from Ref. 43 ). Figure 3 Concentration distribution of different types of antibiotics in sewerage system ( a ) Sulfonamides, ( b ) Tetracyclines, ( c ) Quinolones and ( d ) Macrolides (Box plots show 25th and 75th percentile (box), median lines show the median values, and whiskers correspond to minimum and maximum values.…”
Previous studies reported microplastics (MPs), antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). There is still a lack of research progress on the origin, fate, impact and hazards of MPs and ARGs in WWTPs. This paper fills a gap in this regard. In our search, we used “microplastics”, “antibiotic resistance genes”, and “wastewater treatment plant” as topic terms in Web of Science, checking the returned results for relevance by examining paper titles and abstracts. This study mainly explores the following points: (1) the origins and fate of MPs, antibiotics and ARGs in WWTPs; (2) the mechanisms of action of MPs, antibiotics and ARGs in sludge biochemical pools; (3) the impacts of MPs in WWTPs and the spread of ARGs; (4) and the harm inflicted by MPs and ARGs on the environment and human body. Contaminants in sewage sludge such as MPs, ARGs, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter the soil and water. Contaminants can travel through the food chain and thus reach humans, leading to increased illness, hospitalization, and even mortality. This study will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of action among MPs, antibiotics, ARGs, and the harm they inflict on the human body.
“…(Adapted with permission from Ref. 43 ). Figure 3 Concentration distribution of different types of antibiotics in sewerage system ( a ) Sulfonamides, ( b ) Tetracyclines, ( c ) Quinolones and ( d ) Macrolides (Box plots show 25th and 75th percentile (box), median lines show the median values, and whiskers correspond to minimum and maximum values.…”
Previous studies reported microplastics (MPs), antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). There is still a lack of research progress on the origin, fate, impact and hazards of MPs and ARGs in WWTPs. This paper fills a gap in this regard. In our search, we used “microplastics”, “antibiotic resistance genes”, and “wastewater treatment plant” as topic terms in Web of Science, checking the returned results for relevance by examining paper titles and abstracts. This study mainly explores the following points: (1) the origins and fate of MPs, antibiotics and ARGs in WWTPs; (2) the mechanisms of action of MPs, antibiotics and ARGs in sludge biochemical pools; (3) the impacts of MPs in WWTPs and the spread of ARGs; (4) and the harm inflicted by MPs and ARGs on the environment and human body. Contaminants in sewage sludge such as MPs, ARGs, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter the soil and water. Contaminants can travel through the food chain and thus reach humans, leading to increased illness, hospitalization, and even mortality. This study will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of action among MPs, antibiotics, ARGs, and the harm they inflict on the human body.
“…WWTPs are considered an environmental hotspot for disseminating ARGs ( 9 , 11 , 12 ) due to the presence of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and diverse ARBs. The high abundances of bacterial communities in the WW facilitate the direct route for the distribution of ARGs in the environment ( 13 , 14 ). Yet, the link between the ARGs detected in the WW flow and their hosts was rarely established.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Therefore, understanding the prevalence of ARGs in pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria is paramount for identifying factors driving the dissemination of ARGs from WWTPs to the environments that receive the effluent. Previous studies have shown that WWTPs are very important sources of resistance genes due to the secretion of antibiotic residues from human waste, veterinary sources, and hospital ( 9 , 13 , 15 ). Therefore, surveillance of ARGs is necessary in WWTP as part of the effort to diminish the emergence and distribution of resistance in the ecological environment and the possibility of detecting new bacterial resistance mechanisms.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Additionally, previous studies have reported the occurrence of ARGs in the treated WW and their distribution into the receiving environment, which further reveals that continuous discharge of poorly treated WW can enable the transfer of resistance genes to pathogenic bacteria and spread ARBs in the environments ( 15 , 16 ). The existence of ARGs and ARBs in the activated sludge, effluents, and influents of WWTPs from various countries shows the global distribution of resistance genes in the environment ( 13 , 15 – 17 ). A recent review by Nava and co-workers revealed that multi-resistance bacteria are present in WW and distributed in the environment through effluent discharge, which may lead to the development of “superbug” species ( 13 ).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The existence of ARGs and ARBs in the activated sludge, effluents, and influents of WWTPs from various countries shows the global distribution of resistance genes in the environment ( 13 , 15 – 17 ). A recent review by Nava and co-workers revealed that multi-resistance bacteria are present in WW and distributed in the environment through effluent discharge, which may lead to the development of “superbug” species ( 13 ). The existence of multi-resistance species in WW is supported by the co-association of antibiotics, heavy metals, ARBs, and ARGs in WWTPs ( 16 ).…”
Wastewater is considered a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), where the abundant antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and mobile genetic elements facilitate horizontal gene transfer. However, the prevalence and extent of these phenomena in different taxonomic groups that inhabit wastewater are still not fully understood. Here, we determined the presence of ARGs in metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and evaluated the risks of MAG-carrying ARGs in potential human pathogens. The potential of these ARGs to be transmitted horizontally or vertically was also determined. A total of 5,916 MAGs (completeness >50%, contamination <10%) were recovered, covering 68 phyla and 279 genera. MAGs were dereplicated into 1,204 genome operational taxonomic units (gOTUs) as a proxy for species ( average nucleotide identity >0.95). The dominant ARG classes detected were bacitracin, multi-drug, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin (MLS), glycopeptide, and aminoglycoside, and 10.26% of them were located on plasmids. The main hosts of ARGs belonged to
Escherichia
,
Klebsiella
,
Acinetobacter
,
Gresbergeria
,
Mycobacterium
, and
Thauera
. Our data showed that 253 MAGs carried virulence factor genes (VFGs) divided into 44 gOTUs, of which 45 MAGs were carriers of ARGs, indicating that potential human pathogens carried ARGs. Alarmingly, the MAG assigned as
Escherichia coli
contained 159 VFGs, of which 95 were located on chromosomes and 10 on plasmids. In addition to shedding light on the prevalence of ARGs in individual genomes recovered from activated sludge and wastewater, our study demonstrates a workflow that can identify antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in complex microbial communities.
IMPORTANCE
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the health of humans, animals, and natural ecosystems. In our study, an analysis of 165 metagenomes from wastewater revealed antibiotic-targeted alteration, efflux, and inactivation as the most prevalent AMR mechanisms. We identified several genera correlated with multiple ARGs, including
Klebsiella
,
Escherichia
,
Acinetobacter
,
Nitrospira
,
Ottowia
,
Pseudomonas
, and
Thauera
, which could have significant implications for AMR transmission. The abundance of
bacA
,
mexL
, and
aph(3")-I
in the genomes calls for their urgent management in wastewater. Our approach could be applied to different ecosystems to assess the risk of potential pathogens containing ARGs. Our findings highlight the importance of managing AMR in wastewater and can help design measures to reduce the transmission and evolution of AMR in these systems.
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