Anaerobic Digestion of Cattle Manure Contaminated with an Antibiotic Mixture: A Nature-Based Solution for Environmental Management

Giulia Massini, Anna Barra Caracciolo, Jasmin Rauseo (), Francesca Spataro, Giulia Scordo, Luisa Patrolecco, Gian Luigi Garbini, Andrea Visca, Paola Grenni, Ludovica Rolando and Valentina Mazzurco Miritana
Additional contact information
Giulia Massini: Laboratory for Hydrogen and New Energy Vectors (TERIN DEC H2V), Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
Anna Barra Caracciolo: Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR) SP 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, Italy
Jasmin Rauseo: Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (ISP-CNR) SP 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, Italy
Francesca Spataro: Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (ISP-CNR) SP 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, Italy
Giulia Scordo: Laboratory for Hydrogen and New Energy Vectors (TERIN DEC H2V), Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
Luisa Patrolecco: Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council (ISP-CNR) SP 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, Italy
Gian Luigi Garbini: Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR) SP 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, Italy
Andrea Visca: Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR) SP 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, Italy
Paola Grenni: Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR) SP 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, Italy
Ludovica Rolando: Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR) SP 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, Italy
Valentina Mazzurco Miritana: Laboratory for Hydrogen and New Energy Vectors (TERIN DEC H2V), Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a waste-to-energy strategy that leverages natural microbiological processes. It is increasingly used in farms to treat manure, resulting in biogas for energy production and digestate as fertiliser. However, animal manure often contains antibiotic (AB) residues, raising concerns about their impact on AD efficiency and their potential spread through digestate use. This multidisciplinary study evaluated the effects of an AB mixture (enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole) on CH 4 production, microbial community (Fungi, Bacteria and Archaea) dynamics and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) presence. The experiment used a cattle manure/digestate ratio of 1:35, typical of real digesters, with AB concentrations set at low (2.5 mg kg −1 each) and high (7.5 mg kg −1 each) levels. The ABs affected cumulative CH 4 production (ranging from 5939 to 6464 mL) only at the highest concentration. After 51 days, sulfamethoxazole reached residual levels, while enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were only partially degraded (<50%), but ARGs were significantly reduced. The microbial community, particularly prokaryotes, exhibited resilience, maintaining efficient CH 4 production. Overall findings strongly suggest that AD is an effective treatment for producing energy and good fertiliser, also reducing AB and ARG content as well as mitigating CH 4 emissions into the atmosphere.

Keywords: methane production; manure; digestate; antibiotic removal; microbial components; antibiotic resistance genes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/353/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/353/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:2:p:353-:d:1586716

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().