Long-Term, Simultaneous Impact of Antimicrobials on the Efficiency of Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge and Changes in the Microbial Community

Małgorzata Czatzkowska, Monika Harnisz, Ewa Korzeniewska, Izabela Wolak, Paulina Rusanowska, Łukasz Paukszto, Jan P. Jastrzębski and Sylwia Bajkacz
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Małgorzata Czatzkowska: Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Monika Harnisz: Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Ewa Korzeniewska: Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Izabela Wolak: Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Paulina Rusanowska: Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska 117a, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Łukasz Paukszto: Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Jan P. Jastrzębski: Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Sylwia Bajkacz: Department of Inorganic, Analytical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 6, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-23

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of simultaneous, long-term exposure to increasing concentrations of three classes of antimicrobials (β-lactams, fluoroquinolones and nitroimidazoles) on: (1) the efficiency of anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, (2) qualitative and quantitative changes in microbial consortia that participate in methane fermentation, and (3) fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Long-term supplementation of sewage sludge with a combination of metronidazole, amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin applied at different doses did not induce significant changes in process parameters, including the concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), or the total abundance of ARGs. Exposure to antibiotics significantly decreased methane production and modified microbial composition. The sequencing analysis revealed that the abundance of OTUs characteristic of Archaea was not correlated with the biogas production efficiency. The study also demonstrated that the hydrogen-dependent pathway of methylotrophic methanogenesis could significantly contribute to the stability of anaerobic digestion in the presence of antimicrobials. The greatest changes in microbial biodiversity were noted in substrate samples exposed to the highest dose of the tested antibiotics, relative to control. The widespread use of antimicrobials increases antibiotic concentrations in sewage sludge, which may decrease the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR).

Keywords: sewage sludge; long-term anaerobic digestion; methane; antimicrobial influence; microbial community; antibiotic resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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