TY - JOUR

T1 - Biosolids for safe land application

T2 - does wastewater treatment plant size matters when considering antibiotics, pollutants, microbiome, mobile genetic elements and associated resistance genes?

AU - Wolters, Birgit

AU - Hauschild, Kristin

AU - Blau, Khald

AU - Mulder, Ines

AU - Heyde, Benjamin Justus

AU - Sørensen, Søren J.

AU - Siemens, Jan

AU - Jechalke, Sven

AU - Smalla, Kornelia

AU - Nesme, Joseph

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Soil fertilization with wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) biosolids is associated with the introduction of resistance genes (RGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and potentially selective pollutants (antibiotics, heavy metals, disinfectants) into soil. Not much data are available on the parallel analysis of biosolid pollutant contents, RG/MGE abundances and microbial community composition. In the present study, DNA extracted from biosolids taken at 12 WWTPs (two large-scale, six middle-scale and four small-scale plants) was used to determine the abundance of RGs and MGEs via quantitative real-time PCR and the bacterial and archaeal community composition was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Concentrations of heavy metals, antibiotics, the biocides triclosan, triclocarban and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) were measured. Strong and significant correlations were revealed between several target genes and concentrations of Cu, Zn, triclosan, several antibiotics and QACs. Interestingly, the size of the sewage treatment plant (inhabitant equivalents) was negatively correlated with antibiotic concentrations, RGs and MGEs abundances and had little influence on the load of metals and QACs or the microbial community composition. Biosolids from WWTPs with anaerobic treatment and hospitals in their catchment area were associated with a higher abundance of potential opportunistic pathogens and higher concentrations of QACs.

AB - Soil fertilization with wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) biosolids is associated with the introduction of resistance genes (RGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and potentially selective pollutants (antibiotics, heavy metals, disinfectants) into soil. Not much data are available on the parallel analysis of biosolid pollutant contents, RG/MGE abundances and microbial community composition. In the present study, DNA extracted from biosolids taken at 12 WWTPs (two large-scale, six middle-scale and four small-scale plants) was used to determine the abundance of RGs and MGEs via quantitative real-time PCR and the bacterial and archaeal community composition was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Concentrations of heavy metals, antibiotics, the biocides triclosan, triclocarban and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) were measured. Strong and significant correlations were revealed between several target genes and concentrations of Cu, Zn, triclosan, several antibiotics and QACs. Interestingly, the size of the sewage treatment plant (inhabitant equivalents) was negatively correlated with antibiotic concentrations, RGs and MGEs abundances and had little influence on the load of metals and QACs or the microbial community composition. Biosolids from WWTPs with anaerobic treatment and hospitals in their catchment area were associated with a higher abundance of potential opportunistic pathogens and higher concentrations of QACs.

U2 - 10.1111/1462-2920.15938

DO - 10.1111/1462-2920.15938

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35192222

AN - SCOPUS:85125169981

VL - 24

SP - 1573

EP - 1589

JO - Environmental Microbiology

JF - Environmental Microbiology

SN - 1462-2912

IS - 3

ER -