title: Dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes in microbial fuel cell-coupled constructed wetlands treating antibiotic-polluted water.
abstract: Microbial fuel cell-coupled constructed wetlands (CW-MFCs) use electrochemical, biological, and ecological functions to treat wastewater. However, few studies have investigated the risks of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) when using such systems to remove antibiotics. Therefore, three CW-MFCs were designed to assess the dynamics of ARGs in filler biofilm and effluent over 5000 h of operation. The experimental results indicated that relatively high steady voltages of 605.8 mV, 613.7 mV, and 541.4 mV were obtained at total influent antibiotic concentrations of 400, 1,000, and 1600 μg L-1, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene level in the cathode layer was higher than those in the anode and two middle layers, but the opposite trend was observed for the sul and tet genes. The relative abundance of the three tested sul genes were in the order sulI > sulII > sulIII, and those of the five tet genes were in the order tetA > tetC > tetW > tetO > tetQ. The levels of sul and tet genes in the media biofilm showed an increase over the treatment period. The effluent water had relatively low abundances of sul and tet genes compared with the filler biofilm. No increases were observed for most ARGs over the treatment period, and no significant correlations were observed between the ARGs and 16S rRNA gene copy numbers, except for sulI and tetW in the effluent. However, significant correlations were observed among most of the ARG copy numbers.
authors.affiliation: School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: zhangshuai198702@163.com.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: songhailiang@seu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hai-Liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: yangxiaoli@seu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiao-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: 18270911541@163.com.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: daizeeqin@seu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhe-Qin
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: 863941227@qq.com.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China. Electronic address: 908101017@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yu-Yue
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018441:Biofilms; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D018628:Gene Dosage; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Antibiotic resistance genes; Antibiotics; Constructed wetlands; Microbial fuel cell