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Granular activated carbon remediates antibiotic resistance propagation and methanogenic inhibition induced by polystyrene nanoplastics in sludge anaerobic digestion
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Researchers found that adding granular activated carbon to sludge anaerobic digestion systems can counteract the negative effects caused by polystyrene nanoplastics, including the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and reduced methane production. The study suggests that granular activated carbon promotes direct interspecies electron transfer, offering a practical approach to remediate nanoplastic contamination in wastewater treatment.
Nano/microplastics (NPs/MPs) in sewage sludge can induce oxidative stress to the anaerobic digestion (AD) and also proliferate antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Recently, granular activated carbon (GAC) has been used as an additive to enhance methane production in AD via direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET); however, its impact on AD exposed to NPs/MPs is yet to be studied. This study examined the effect of GAC (5 and 15 g/L) on sludge AD exposed to 150 µg/L of polystyrene nanoplastics (PsNPs). PsNPs decreased methane yield by 32.3% due to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species. However, GAC addition counteracted this adverse effect and improved methane production, attributed to the potential enrichment of DIET-active microbes and the adsorption of PsNPs by GAC. Moreover, GAC reduced the total abundance of ARGs, which was increased by PsNPs exposure. Thus, GAC can provide dual benefits in mitigating methanogenic inhibition caused by PsNPs and ARG spread.
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