Effect of ciprofloxacin antibiotic on the partial-nitritation process and bacterial community structure of a submerged biofilter.
A partial-nitritation bench-scale submerged biofilter was used for the treatment of synthetic wastewater containing a high concentration of ammonium in order to study the influence of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin on the partial-nitritation process and biodiversity of the bacterial community structure. The influence of ciprofloxacin was evaluated in four partial-nitritation bioreactors working in parallel, which received sterile synthetic wastewater amended with 350 ng/L of ciprofloxacin (Experiment 1), synthetic wastewater without ciprofloxacin (Experiment 2), synthetic wastewater amended with 100 ng/L of ciprofloxacin (Experiment 3) and synthetic wastewater amended with 350 ng/L of ciprofloxacin (Experiment 4). The concentration of 100 ng/L of antibiotics demonstrated that the partial-nitritation process, microbial biomass and bacterial structure generated by tag-pyrosequencing adapted progressively to the conditions in the bioreactor. However, high concentrations of ciprofloxacin (350 ng/L) induced a decay of the partial-nitritation process, while the total microbial biomass was increased. Within the same experiment, the bacterial community experienced sequential shifts with a clear reduction of the ammonium oxidation bacteria (AOB) and an evident increase of Commamonas sp., which have been previously reported to be ciprofloxacin-resistant. Our study suggests the need for careful monitoring of the concentration of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin in partial-nitritation bioreactors, in order to choose and maintain the most appropriate conditions for the proper operation of the system.
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: agon@ugr.es.
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Gonzalez-Martinez
Institute of Water Research, University of Granada, C/Ramón y Cajal, 4, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Rodriguez-Sanchez
Institute of Water Research, University of Granada, C/Ramón y Cajal, 4, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Martinez-Toledo
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Garcia-Ruiz
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Hontoria
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Osorio-Robles
Institute of Water Research, University of Granada, C/Ramón y Cajal, 4, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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Gonzalez-Lopez
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D044822:Biodiversity; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000633:toxicity*; D058465:Nitrification / Q000187:drug effects*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Antibiotics; Ciprofloxacin; Fluoroquinolone; Partial-nitritation; Pyrosequencing; Wastewater