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From wastewater to sludge: The role of microplastics in shaping anaerobic digestion performance and antibiotic resistance gene dynamics
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This review examines how microplastics in wastewater treatment plants affect the anaerobic digestion process used to break down sewage sludge, finding that certain plastic types can either boost or reduce biogas production depending on conditions. Importantly, microplastics increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes by up to 514%, raising serious concerns that wastewater treatment -- meant to protect public health -- may instead become a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria when microplastics are present.
The presence of microplastics (MPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) disrupt processes and threaten the effectiveness of anaerobic digestion (AD), raising critical environmental and operational concerns. This review assesses MP occurrence in WWTPs and its effects on biogas production and the fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during AD to understand their impact on process efficiency and environmental health. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are the most prevalent types of MPs which are found in WWTP influent at an average concentration of 801.5 particles per liter (P/L), decrease to 38.3 P/L in effluent, and accumulate in sludge at 70.5 P/L. The effect of MPs on AD performance is influenced by MP type, concentration, size, and AD conditions (i.e., feed substrate, reactor configuration, temperature, and incubation time). For example, certain MPs (polyamide 7 (PA7) and PP) increase methane production by 39.5 %, while aged MPs decrease it by 47.2 %. The review also explores how AD drives MP degradation mechanisms like oxidation, hydrolysis, mechanical stress, and biodegradation. Additionally, MPs significantly impact ARGs, with abundance increasing by 0.4-514.4 %, especially with aged MPs. Mechanistic effects of MPs on ARGs dissemination were also discussed, including horizontal gene transfer (reactive oxygen species production, cell membrane permeability, extracellular polymeric substances secretion, and ATP dynamics), vertical gene transfer, microbial community, and adsorbing pollutants. This analysis provides insights into the complex interactions between MPs, microbial processes, and ARGs, highlighting their implications for wastewater treatment and biogas production systems.
More Papers Like This
[Effects of Typical Microplastics on Methanogenesis and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Anaerobic Digestion of Sludge].
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Researchers explored the impacts of polyamide, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on methanogenesis and antibiotic resistance gene dynamics during anaerobic digestion of waste sludge, examining how microplastic contamination affects both biogas production and resistance gene enrichment.
Effects of polypropylene microplastics on digestion performance, microbial community, and antibiotic resistance during microbial anaerobic digestion
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Researchers studied how polypropylene microplastics affect the anaerobic digestion process used to treat wastewater sludge. While small amounts of microplastics slightly increased methane production, they also promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria in the digesters. This means microplastics in wastewater systems could contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which poses a serious threat to human health.
Impacts of microplastic type on the fate of antibiotic resistance genes and horizontal gene transfer mechanism during anaerobic digestion
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Researchers examined how three types of microplastics affect antibiotic resistance genes during the anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. They found that while microplastics actually increased methane production, they also decreased the overall abundance of antibiotic resistance genes but changed how those genes spread between bacteria. The study reveals a complex interaction where microplastics may reduce some resistance genes while promoting the horizontal transfer of others during waste treatment.
Microplastics Enhance the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Anaerobic Sludge Digestion by Enriching Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Surface Biofilm and Facilitating the Vertical and Horizontal Gene Transfer
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This study found that microplastics in sewage sludge promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, which make bacteria harder to treat with antibiotics. Microplastics provided a surface for resistant bacteria to grow and helped them share resistance genes with other bacteria. The more microplastics present, the more antibiotic resistance spread, raising concerns about how plastic pollution in wastewater could contribute to the growing antibiotic resistance crisis.
Metagenomic Analysis Reveals the Effects of Microplastics on Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Sludge Anaerobic Digestion
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Researchers used metagenomic analysis to study how microplastics in sewage sludge affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes during anaerobic digestion. They found that microplastics increased antibiotic resistance gene levels by up to 30 percent, with polyethylene having the strongest effect, and also boosted the mobile genetic elements that help resistance genes spread between bacteria. The findings raise concerns about microplastics facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance through wastewater treatment systems.
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