Carbon Fiber Paper Sensor for Determination of Trimethoprim Antibiotic in Fish Samples

The increase in anthropogenic pollution raises serious concerns regarding contamination of water bodies and aquatic species with potential implications on human health. Pharmaceutical compounds are a type of contaminants of emerging concern that are increasingly consumed and, thus, being frequently found in the aquatic environment. In this sense, an electrochemical sensor based on an unmodified and untreated carbon fiber paper (CPS-carbon paper sensor) was simply employed for the analysis of trimethoprim antibiotic in fish samples. First, the analytical conditions were thoroughly optimized in order for the CPS to achieve maximum performance in trimethoprim determination. Therefore, an electrolyte (0.1 M Britton-Robinson buffer) pH of 7 was selected and for square wave voltammetry parameters, optimum values of amplitude, frequency and step potential corresponded to 0.02 V, 50 Hz, and 0.015 V, respectively, whereas the deposition of analyte occurred at +0.7 V for 60 s. In these optimum conditions, the obtained liner range (0.05 to 2 µM), sensitivity (48.8 µA µM^-1 cm^-2), and LOD (0.065 µM) competes favorably with the commonly used GCE-based sensors or BDD electrodes that employ nanostructuration or are more expensive. The CPS was then applied for trimethoprim determination in fish samples after employing a solid phase extraction procedure based on QuEChERS salts, resulting in recoveries of 105.9 ± 1.8% by the standard addition method.

Adaptation of Rhizosphere Microbial Communities to Continuous Exposure to Multiple Residual Antibiotics in Vegetable Farms

The constant application of manure-based fertilizers in vegetable farms leads to antibiotic residue accumulation in soils, which has become a major stressor affecting agroecosystem stability. The present study investigated the adaptation profiles of rhizosphere microbial communities in different vegetable farms to multiple residual antibiotics. Multiple antibiotics, including trimethoprim, sulfonamides, quinolones, tetracyclines, macrolides, lincomycins, and chloramphenicols, were detected in the vegetable farms; the dominant antibiotic (trimethoprim) had a maximum concentration of 36.7 ng/g. Quinolones and tetracyclines were the most prevalent antibiotics in the vegetable farms. The five most abundant phyla in soil samples were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi and Firmicutes, while the five most abundant phyla in root samples were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Myxococcota. Macrolides were significantly correlated with microbial community composition changes in soil samples, while sulfonamides were significantly correlated with microbial community composition changes in root samples. Soil properties (total carbon and nitrogen contents and pH) influenced the shifts in microbial communities in rhizosphere soils and roots. This study provides evidence that low residual antibiotic levels in vegetable farms can shift microbial community structures, potentially affecting agroecosystem stability. However, the degree to which the shift occurs could be regulated by environmental factors, such as soil nutrient conditions.

Insight into the interaction between trimethoprim and soluble microbial products produced from biological wastewater treatment processes

Soluble microbial products (SMPs), dissolved organic matter excreted by activated sludge, can interact with antibiotics in wastewater and natural water bodies. Interactions between SMPs and antibiotics can influence antibiotic migration, transformation, and toxicity but the mechanisms involved in such interactions are not fully understood. In this study, integrated spectroscopy approaches were used to investigate the mechanisms involved in interactions between SMPs and a representative antibiotic, trimethoprim (TMP), which has a low biodegradation rate and has been detected in wastewater. The results of liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection-organic nitrogen detection indicated that the SMPs used in the study contained 15% biopolymers and 28% humic-like substances (based on the total dissolved organic carbon concentration) so would have contained sites that could interact with TMP. A linear relationship of fluorescent intensities of tryptophan protein-like substances in SMP was observed (R²>0.99), indicating that the fluorescence enhancement between SMP and TMP occurred. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that carboxyl, carbonyl, and hydroxyl groups were the main functional groups involved in the interactions. The electrostatic and π-π interactions were discovered by the UV-vis spectra and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Structural representations of the interactions between representative SMP subcomponents and TMP were calculated using density functional theory, and the results confirmed the conclusions drawn from the ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. The results help characterize SMP-TMP complexes and will help understand antibiotic transformations in wastewater treatment plants and aquatic environments.

Simultaneous degradation and separation of antibiotics in sewage effluent by photocatalytic nanofiltration membrane in a continuous dynamic process

Bifunctional photocatalytic nanofiltration (PNF) membrane is increasingly concerned in practical micro-polluted water purification, but there are still several bottlenecks that inhibit its practicality. In this context, the feasibility of a novel metal-free and visible light-responsive surface-anchored PNF membrane for simultaneously removing target antibiotics in real sewage effluent in a continuous dynamic process was explored. The results showed that the optimal PNF-4 membrane was expectedly consisted of an inside tight sub-nanopore structured separation layer and an outside thinner, smoother, super hydrophilic mesoporous degradation layer, respectively. Consequently, the activated PNF-4 membrane could synergistically reduce trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole concentrations to below two orders of magnitude, accompanying with almost constant high water permeability, suggesting that the hydrophilic modification of the mesoporous degradation layer basically offsets its inherent hydraulic resistance. Also, after repeating the fouling-physical rinsing process three times lasted for 78 h, only sporadic adherent contaminants remained onto the top surface, together with the minimal total and irreversible fouling ratios (as low as 7.2% and 1.2%, respectively), strongly demonstrated that PNF-4 membrane displayed good self-cleaning performance. Undoubtedly, this will significantly reduce its potential cleaning frequency and maintenance cost in long-term operation. Meanwhile, the acute and chronic biotoxicities of its permeate to Virbrio qinghaiensis sp. -67 were also reduced sharply to 2.22% and 0.45%, respectively. All of these evidences suggest that the dual functions of PNF-4 membrane are synergetic in an uninterrupted permeating process. It will provide useful insights for continuously enhancing the practicality and effectiveness of PNF membrane in actual micro-polluted water purification scenarios.

Antibacterial and biocompatibility studies of triple antibiotics-impregnated external ventricular drainage: In vitro and in vivo evaluation

Hydrocephalus is a neurological disease caused by an unusually high level of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which can be relieved by external ventricular drainage (EVD) insertion. However, the infection can lead to complications during the use of EVD. In this study, EVD was impregnated with three synergistic antibiotics, including rifampicin, clindamycin, and trimethoprim, to improve the antibacterial property. The impregnated drainage was studied for its characteristics in vitro and in vivo. Drug loading determination revealed that rifampicin had the highest concentration in the tube, followed by clindamycin and trimethoprim, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity and hemolytic studies showed no toxic effects from antibiotics-impregnated EVD on fibroblast and red blood cells. For antibacterial testing, the impregnated EVD exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus MRSA and Staphylococcus epidermidis up to 14 and 90 days, respectively. Moreover, biocompatibility and drug release into the bloodstream and surrounding tissues were investigated by implantation in rabbits for 30 days. Histology and morphology results showed that fibroblast cells began to adhere to the drainage surface and inflammatory cell numbers were noticeably small after the long-term implantation. In addition, there was no drug leakage to the bloodstream and surrounding tissues. Hence, this impregnated EVD can potentially be used for antibacterial application.

Thermodynamic and Kinetic Investigation of the Adsorption and Desorption of Trimethoprim and Its Main Metabolites in Mediterranean Crop Soils

The adsorption-desorption processes of organic pollutants into the soil are one of the main factors influencing their potential environmental risks and distribution in the environment. In the present work, the adsorption-desorption behavior of an antibiotic, trimethoprim (TMP), and two of its main metabolites, 3-desmethyltrimethoprim (DM-TMP) and 4-hydroxytrimethoprim (OH-TMP), were assessed in three Mediterranean agricultural soils with different physicochemical characteristics. Results showed that the adsorption kinetic is performed in two steps: external sorption and intraparticle diffusion. The adsorptions of the studied compounds in soils were similar and fitted to the three models but were better fitted to a linear model. In the case of DM-TMP and OH-TMP, their adsorptions were positively correlated with the soil organic matter. In addition, desorption was higher in less organic matter soil (from 1.3 to 30.9%). Furthermore, the desorptions measured for the TMP metabolites were lower than those measured in the case of TMP (from 2.0 and 4.0% for OH-TMP and DM-TMP, respectively, to 9.0% for TMP).

Co-doped Fe3O4/α-FeOOH for highly efficient peroxymonosulfate activation to degrade trimethoprim: Occurrence of hybrid non-radical and radical pathways

Trimethoprim (TMP), as a widely used chemotherapeutic antibiotic agent, has caused potential risks to the aquatic environment. In this study, magnetic Co-doped Fe₃O₄/α-FeOOH was fabricated by a facile one-step ageing method and used for activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in TMP degradation. It was found that low catalyst (0.5 g/L) and PMS addition (0.2 mM) led to the high degradation efficiency of TMP (97.2%, k_obs = 0.11211 min^-1) over a wide range of pH. The oxidation of active radical (SO₄·^-) and non-radical singlet oxygen (¹O₂) co-acted on TMP degradation. Besides, PMS was activated through the cycles between Co(II)/Co(III) and Fe(II)/Fe(III). Fifteen degradation intermediates of TMP were identified by LC-MS, and three possible degradation pathways including hydroxylation, demethylation, and cleavage were proposed. The recovered catalysts exhibited high stability and reusability, maintaining 80% TMP removal efficiency with inappreciable metal leaching (0.012 mg/L of Co, 0.113 mg/L of Fe) after six cycles. Besides, the Co-Fe₃O₄/α-FeOOH/PMS system was highly tolerant to inorganic anions and actual water bodies (river water, lake water, tap water, and sewage plant effluent). Overall, this work provided a promising way to the potential application of Fe-based binary metal oxide for PMS activation.

The TriMet_DB: A Manually Curated Database of the Metabolic Proteins of Triticum aestivum

Mass-spectrometry-based wheat proteomics is challenging because the current interpretation of mass spectrometry data relies on public databases that are not exhaustive (UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot) or contain many redundant and poor or un-annotated entries (UniProtKB/TrEMBL). Here, we report the development of a manually curated database of the metabolic proteins of Triticum aestivum (hexaploid wheat), named TriMet_DB (Triticum aestivum Metabolic Proteins DataBase). The manually curated TriMet_DB was generated in FASTA format so that it can be read directly by programs used to interpret the mass spectrometry data. Furthermore, the complete list of entries included in the TriMet_DB is reported in a freely available resource, which includes for each protein the description, the gene code, the protein family, and the allergen name (if any). To evaluate its performance, the TriMet_DB was used to interpret the MS data acquired on the metabolic protein fraction extracted from the cultivar MEC of Triticum aestivum. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD037709.

Predictive modeling of pharmaceutical product removal by a managed aquifer recharge system: Comparison and optimization of models using ensemble learners

Pharmaceutical products (PPs) are emerging water pollutants with adverse environmental and health-related impacts, owing to their toxic, persistent, and undetectable microscopic nature. Globally, increasing scientific knowledge and advanced technologies have allowed researchers to study PP-associated problems and their removal for water reuse. Experimental modeling methods require laborious, lengthy, expensive, and environmentally hazardous lab-work to optimize the process. On the other hand, predictive machine learning (ML) models can trace the complex input-output relationship of a process using available datasets. In this study, ensemble ML techniques, including decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), and Xtreme gradient boost (XGB), were used to explore PP (diclofenac, iopromide, propranolol, and trimethoprim) removal by a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) system. The model input parameters included characteristics of reclaimed water and soil used in the columns, pH, dissolved organic carbon, operating time, nitrogen dioxide, sulfate, nitrate, electrical conductivity, manganese, and iron. The selected PP removal was the model output. Datasets were collected through a one-year experimental study of continuous MAR system operation to predict the removal of PPs. DT, RF, and XGB models were then developed for one of the selected compounds and tested for the others to check the reliability of the ML model results. The developed models were assessed using statistical performance matrices. The experimental results showed >80% removal of propranolol and trimethoprim; however, removal of diclofenac and iopromide was only ≈50% by the MAR system. The proposed DT and RF models presented higher coefficients of determination (R² ≥ 0.92) for diclofenac, propranolol, and trimethoprim than for iopromide (R² ≤ 0.63). In contrast, the XGB model showed better results for diclofenac, iopromide, propranolol, and trimethoprim, with R² values of 0.92, 0.72, 0.96, and 0.97, respectively. Therefore, XGB could be the best predictive model to provide insight into the adaptation of ML models to predict PP removal by the MAR system, thereby minimizing experimental work.

Can aged microplastics be transport vectors for organic micropollutants? - Sorption and phytotoxicity tests

Microplastics have been investigated over the last decade as potential transport vectors for other pollutants. However, the specific role of plastic aging, in which plastics change their characteristics over time when exposed to environmental agents, has been overlooked. Therefore, sorption experiments were herein conducted using virgin and aged (by ozone treatment or rooftop weathering) microplastic particles of LDPE - low-density polyethylene, PET - poly(ethylene terephthalate), or uPVC - unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride). The organic micropollutants (OMPs) selected as sorbates comprise a diversified group of priority substances and contaminants of emerging concern, including pharmaceutical substances (florfenicol, trimethoprim, diclofenac, tramadol, citalopram, venlafaxine) and pesticides (alachlor, clofibric acid, diuron, pentachlorophenol), analyzed at trace concentrations (each ≤100 μg L^-1). Sorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherms were obtained, as well as the confirmation that the aging degree of microplastics plays a major role in their sorption capacities. The results show an increased sorption of several OMPs on aged microplastics when compared to pristine samples, i.e. the sorption capacity increasing from one or two sorbed substances (maximum 3 μg g^-1 per sorbate) up to nine after aging (maximum 10 μg g^-1 per sorbate). The extent of sorption depends on the OMP, polymer and the effectiveness of the aging treatment. The modifications (e.g. in the chemical structure) between virgin and aged microplastics were linked to the increased sorption capacity of certain OMPs, allowing to better understand the different affinities observed. Additionally, phytotoxicity tests were performed to evaluate the mobility of the OMPs sorbed on the microplastics and the potential effects (on germination and early growth) of the combo on two species of plants (Lepidium sativum and Sinapis alba). These tests suggest low or no phytotoxicity effect under the conditions tested but indicate a need for further research on the behavior of microplastics on soil-plant systems.

Comparative genomic analyses of pathogenic bacteria and viruses and antimicrobial resistance genes in an urban transportation canal

Water commuting is a major urban transportation method in Thailand. However, urban boat commuters risk exposure to microbially contaminated bioaerosols or splash. We aimed to investigate the microbial community structures, identify bacterial and viral pathogens, and assess the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) using next-generation sequencing (NGS) at 10 sampling sites along an 18 km transportation boat route in the Saen Saep Canal, which traverses cultural, commercial, and suburban land-based zones. The shotgun metagenomic (Illumina HiSeq) and 16S rRNA gene amplicon (V4 region) (Illumina MiSeq) sequencing platforms revealed diverse microbial clusters aligned with the zones, with explicit segregation between the cultural and suburban sites. The shotgun metagenomic sequencing further identified bacterial and viral pathogens, and ARGs. The predominant bacterial pathogens (>0.5 % relative abundance) were the Burkholderia cepacia complex, Arcobacter butzleri, Burkholderia vietnamiensis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the Enterobacter cloacae complex. The viruses (0.28 %-0.67 % abundance in all microbial sequences) comprised mainly vertebrate viruses and bacteriophages, with encephalomyocarditis virus (33.3 %-58.2 % abundance in viral sequences), hepatitis C virus genotype 1, human alphaherpesvirus 1, and human betaherpesvirus 6A among the human viral pathogens. The 15 ARG types contained 611 ARG subtypes, including those resistant to beta-lactam, which was the most diverse and abundant group (206 subtypes; 17.0 %-27.5 %), aminoglycoside (94 subtypes; 9.6 %-15.3 %), tetracycline (80 subtypes; 15.6 %-20.2 %), and macrolide (79 subtypes; 14.5 %-32.1 %). Interestingly, the abundance of ARGs associated with resistance to beta-lactam, trimethoprim, and sulphonamide, as well as A. butzleri and crAssphage, at the cultural sites was significantly different from the other sites (p < 0.05). We demonstrated the benefits of using NGS to deliver insights into microbial communities, and antimicrobial resistance, both of which pose a risk to human health. Using NGS may facilitate microbial risk mitigation and management for urban water commuters and proximal residents.

TiO2-immobilized porous geopolymer composite membrane for removal of antibiotics in hospital wastewater

This experimental research proposes an environment-friendly and low-cost porous geopolymer composite membrane (PGCM) to treat antibiotics in hospital wastewater. The proposed PGCM consisted of two layers: a porous support layer and a dense coating layer. The dense coating layer was synthesized by incorporating variable TiO₂ content (0, 2, 6, and 10 wt%) into the geopolymer matrix. The dense coating layer was of hierarchical mesoporous structure with 700 μm in thickness and adhered to the porous support layer. The average pore size, total pore volume, and open porosity of the dense coating layer decreased with an increase in TiO₂, resulting in reduced water permeability. The PGCM was applied to remove six target antibiotics including amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, and trimethoprim in real hospital wastewater. By comparison, the PGCM with 10 wt% TiO₂ achieved the highest antibiotic removal efficiencies, with the adsorption and combined adsorption/photodegradation removal efficiencies for the target antibiotics of 38-75% and 74-86%, respectively. The novelty of this research lies in the use of a tailor-made porous geopolymer composite membrane incorporated with TiO₂ photooxidation as a single-step treatment of recalcitrant antibiotics contained in hospital wastewater.

Emerging of Multidrug-Resistant Cronobacter sakazakii Isolated from Infant Supplementary Food in China

Cronobacter is a foodborne pathogen associated with severe infections in restricted populations and particularly with high mortality in neonates and infants. The prevalence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotype of Cronobacter cultured from powdered infant formula and supplementary food were studied. The virulence factors, AMR genes, and genomic environments of the multidrug-resistant isolates were further studied. A total of 1,055 Cronobacter isolates were recovered from 12,105 samples of powdered infant formula and supplementary food collected from 29 provinces between 2018 and 2019 in China. Among these, 1,048 isolates were from infant supplementary food and 7 were from powdered infant formula. Regarding antimicrobial resistance susceptibility, 11 (1.0%) isolates were resistant and two showed resistance to four antimicrobials (ampicillin [AMP], tetracycline [TET], sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim [SXT], and chloramphenicol [CHL]), defined as MDR. These two MDR isolates were subsequently identified as Cronobacter sakazakii sequence type 4 (ST4) (C. sakazakii Crono-589) and ST40 (C. sakazakii Crono-684). Both MDR isolates contain 11 types of virulence genes and 7 AMR genes on their genomes. Meanwhile, the IncFIB plasmids of both MDR C. sakazakii isolates also harbored 2 types of virulence genes. Results of the genomic comparative analysis indicated that food-associated C. sakazakii could acquire antimicrobial resistance determinants through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). IMPORTANCE As a foodborne pathogen, Cronobacter can cause serious infections in restricted populations and lead to death or chronic sequelae. Although a number of investigations showed that Cronobacter isolates are susceptible to most antimicrobial agents, MDR Cronobacter isolates, isolated mainly from clinical cases but occasionally from foods, have been reported in recent years. In this study, we successfully identified two MDR Cronobacter sakazakii isolates from infant foods based on nationwide surveillance and genome sequencing in China. Genomic analysis revealed that these two MDR C. sakazakii strains acquired resistance genes from other species via different evolution and transmission routes. It is important to monitor MDR C. sakazakii isolates in infant foods, and appropriate control measures should be taken to reduce the contamination with and transmission of this MDR bacterium.

Glucose Incorporated Graphite Matrix for Electroanalysis of Trimethoprim

The antibiotic drug trimethoprim (TMP) is used to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals, and frequently TMP is used along with sulfonamides. However, a large portion of TMP is excreted in its active state, which poses a severe problem to humans and the environment. A sensitive, rapid, cost-effective analytical tool is required to monitor the TMP concentration in biological and environmental samples. Hence, this study proposed an analytical methodology to analyze TMP in clinical, biological and environmental samples. The investigations were carried out using a glucose-modified carbon paste electrode (G-CPE) employing voltammetric techniques. Electrochemical behavior was examined with 0.5 mM TMP solution at optimum pH 3.4 (Phosphate Buffer Solution, I = 0.2 M). The influence of scan rate on the electro-oxidation of TMP was studied within the range of 0.05 to 0.55 V/s. The effect of pH and scan rate variations revealed proton transfer during oxidation. Moreover, diffusion phenomena governed the irreversibility of the electrode reaction. A probable and suitable electrode interaction and reaction mechanism was proposed for the electrochemical oxidation of TMP. Further, the TMP was quantitatively estimated with the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique in the concentration range from 9.0 × 10^-7 to 1.0 × 10^-4 M. The tablet, spiked water and urine analysis demonstrated that the selected method and developed electrode were rapid, simple, sensitive, and cost-effective.

Pharmaceutical Biotransformation is Influenced by Photosynthesis and Microbial Nitrogen Cycling in a Benthic Wetland Biomat

In shallow, open-water engineered wetlands, design parameters select for a photosynthetic microbial biomat capable of robust pharmaceutical biotransformation, yet the contributions of specific microbial processes remain unclear. Here, we combined genome-resolved metatranscriptomics and oxygen profiling of a field-scale biomat to inform laboratory inhibition microcosms amended with a suite of pharmaceuticals. Our analyses revealed a dynamic surficial layer harboring oxic-anoxic cycling and simultaneous photosynthetic, nitrifying, and denitrifying microbial transcription spanning nine bacterial phyla, with unbinned eukaryotic scaffolds suggesting a dominance of diatoms. In the laboratory, photosynthesis, nitrification, and denitrification were broadly decoupled by incubating oxic and anoxic microcosms in the presence and absence of light and nitrogen cycling enzyme inhibitors. Through combining microcosm inhibition data with field-scale metagenomics, we inferred microbial clades responsible for biotransformation associated with membrane-bound nitrate reductase activity (emtricitabine, trimethoprim, and atenolol), nitrous oxide reduction (trimethoprim), ammonium oxidation (trimethoprim and emtricitabine), and photosynthesis (metoprolol). Monitoring of transformation products of atenolol and emtricitabine confirmed that inhibition was specific to biotransformation and highlighted the value of oscillating redox environments for the further transformation of atenolol acid. Our findings shed light on microbial processes contributing to pharmaceutical biotransformation in open-water wetlands with implications for similar nature-based treatment systems.

Risk of retinal detachment and exposure to fluoroquinolones, common antibiotics, and febrile illness using a self-controlled case series study design: Retrospective analyses of three large healthcare databases in the US

OBJECTIVE

The risk of retinal detachment (RD) following exposure to fluoroquinolone (FQ) has been assessed in multiple studies, however, results have been mixed. This study was designed to estimate the risk of RD following exposure to FQ, other common antibiotics, and febrile illness not treated with antibiotics (FINTA) using a self-controlled case series (SCCS) study design to reduce risk of confounding from unreported patient characteristics.

DESIGN

Retrospective database analysis-SCCS.

SETTING

Primary and Secondary Care.

STUDY POPULATION

40,981 patients across 3 US claims databases (IBM® MarketScan® commercial and Medicare databases, Optum Clinformatics).

OUTCOME

RD.

METHODS

Exposures included FQ as a class of drugs, amoxicillin, azithromycin, trimethoprim with and without sulfamethoxazole, and FINTA. For the primary analysis, all drug formulations were included. For the post hoc sensitivity analyses, only oral tablets were included. Risk windows were defined as exposure period (or FINTA duration) plus 30 days. Patients of all ages with RD and exposures in 3 US claims databases between 2012 to 2017 were included. Diagnostics included p value calibration and pre-exposure outcome analyses. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) comparing risk window time with other time were calculated.

RESULTS

Our primary analysis showed an increased risk for RD in the 30 days prior to exposure to FQ or trimethoprim without sulfamethoxazole. This risk decreased but remained elevated for 30 days following first exposure. Our post-hoc analysis, which excluded ophthalmic drops, showed no increased risk for RD at any time, with FQ and other antibiotics.

CONCLUSION

Our results did not suggest an association between FQ and RD. Oral FQ was not associated with an increased risk for RD during the pre- or post-exposure period.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03479736-March 21, 2018.

Iron ore or manganese ore filled constructed wetlands enhanced removal performance and changed removal process of nitrogen under sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim stress

Iron ore and manganese ore were used as substrate of constructed wetlands (CWs) to enhance nitrogen (N) removal. However, the N purification performance in CWs filled with iron or manganese ore under antibiotics stress needs further study. In this study, three groups of CWs filled with river sand, limonite (a kind of iron ore), and manganese ore sand were constructed, which were named as C-CWs, Fe-CWs, and Mn-CWs, respectively. The effect and mechanism of the composite antibiotics sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim (TMP) on N removal in CWs were investigated. While the addition of SMX and TMP inhibited about 40% nitrification and promoted about 25% denitrification in all CWs, Fe-CWs and Mn-CWs always had better N removal performance than C-CWs. Changes in microbial community structure in CWs indicated that the better N removal performance in Fe-CWs and Mn-CWs was attributed to the presence of more abundant and diverse N-associated bacteria, especially Fe- and Mn-driven autotrophic denitrifying bacteria. What's more, the addition of iron ore or manganese ore contributed to the better N removal performance with highest relative abundance of N-transferring bacteria under antibiotics stress.

Biomarkers for monitoring the equine large intestinal inflammatory response to stress-induced dysbiosis and probiotic supplementation

Large intestine barrier disturbances can have serious consequences for the health of horses. The loss of mucosal integrity that leads to increased intestinal permeability may result from a local inflammatory immune response following alterations of the microbiota, known as dysbiosis. Therefore, our research aimed to identify noninvasive biomarkers for studying the intestinal permeability and the local inflammatory immune response in horses. Regarding the biomarkers used in other mammalian species, we measured the concentrations of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), reflected by 3-OH C14, C16, and C18 fatty acids, in blood, and fecal secretory immunoglobulin-A (SIgA). These biomarkers were evaluated in two trials including 9 and 12 healthy horses, which developed large intestinal dysbiosis experimentally induced by 5 d of antibiotic administration (trimethoprim sulfadiazine [TMS]) or 5 d of abrupt introduction of high starch levels (barley) into the diet. Horses were either control or supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Ligilactobacillus salivarius, and Bifidobacterium lactis. Correlations were performed between biomarkers and fecal bacterial diversity, composition, and function. No significant interaction between day and supplementation, or supplementation effect were observed for each biomarker. However, with the dietary stressor, a significant increase in blood concentrations of 3-OH C16 (P = 0.0125) and C14 (P = 0.0252) fatty acids was measured 2 d after the cessation of barley administration. Furthermore, with the antibiotic stressor, blood levels of 3-OH C16 progressively increased (P = 0.0114) from the first day to 2 d after the end of TMS administration. No significant day effect was observed for fecal SIgA concentrations for both stressors. These results indicate that both antibiotic- and diet-induced dysbiosis resulted in a local translocation of LPS 2 d after the cessation of the stressor treatments, suggesting an impairment of intestinal permeability, without detectable local inflammation. Blood LPS and fecal SIgA concentrations were significantly correlated with several bacterial variations in the large intestine, which are features of antibiotic- and diet-induced dysbiosis. These findings support the hypothesis that a relationship exists between dysbiosis and the loss of mucosal integrity in the large intestine of horses.

Impact of mesophilic anaerobic digestion and post-treatment of digestates on the transfer of conjugative antimicrobial resistance plasmids

Manure is a major source of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and resistance genes carried by mobile genetic elements such as plasmids. In France, the number of on-farm biogas plants has increased significantly in recent years. Our study investigated the impact of mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) and the post-treatment of digestates on the fate of conjugative plasmids, along with their potential transfer of antimicrobial resistance. Samples of raw manure, digestates and post-treated digestates were collected from three on-farm biogas plants. Conjugative plasmids were captured using the Escherichia coli CV601 recipient strain and media supplemented with rifampicin and kanamycin - to which the recipient strain is resistant - and tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, trimethoprim, amoxicillin, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin or colistin. Putative transconjugants were identified and characterised by disc diffusion and whole genome sequencing. The results showed that the antimicrobial resistance genes transferred from the different matrices conferred resistance to tetracyclines, sulphonamides, trimethoprim, and/or streptomycin. Transconjugants were obtained from raw manure samples but not from digestates or post-digestates, suggesting that mesophilic AD processes may produce fewer conjugative plasmids potentially able to be transferred to Enterobacterales.

Advanced wastewater treatment with ozonation and granular activated carbon filtration: Inactivation of antibiotic resistance targets in a long-term pilot study

The inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes (ARGs) in an advanced plant combining ozonation and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration applied for effluent after conventional activated sludge treatment at a full-scale urban wastewater treatment plant was investigated for over 13 consecutive months. The nitrite compensated specific ozone dose ranged between 0.4 and 0.7 g O₃/g DOC with short-time sampling campaigns (0.2-0.9 g O₃/g DOC). Samples were analysed with culture-dependent methods for bacterial targets and with qPCR for genes. The log removal values were correlated with a decrease of the matrix UV absorption at 254 nm (ΔUV₂₅₄) and indicated a range of ΔUV₂₅₄ that corresponds to a sufficient membrane damage to affect DNA. For trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole resistant E. coli, sul1, ermB and tetW, this phase was observed at ΔUV₂₅₄ of ~30 % (~0.5 g O₃/g DOC). For ampicillin resistant E. coli and bla_TEM-1, it was observed around 35-40 % (~0.7 g O₃/g DOC), which can be linked to mechanisms related to oxidative damages in bacteria resistant to bactericidal antibiotics. GAC treatment resulted in a further abatement for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole E. coli, sul1 and tetW, and in increase in absolute and relative abundance of ermB and bla_TEM-1.

Simultaneous elimination of antibiotics and antibiotics resistance genes in nitritation of source-separated urine

Antibiotics in human urine could accelerate dissemination of antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs), posing potential threat to sewage. The nitritation of source-separated urine was a critical step to realize the urine resourcelization and nitrogen stabilization. However, the synergic control on antibiotics and ARGs during urine nitritation was unrevealed. This study investigated the removal profiles of five typical antibiotics and the shifts of microbial community and ARGs during stable nitritation. The result showed that sulfamethoxazole and roxithromycin were effectively eliminated with high removal efficiency of (95 ± 5) % and (90 ± 10) %, followed by enrofloxacin with removal efficiency of (60 ± 5) %, whereas trimethoprim and chloramphenicol showed low removal efficiency of less than 40 %. Ammonia oxidation bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria equally contributed to elimination of sulfamethoxazole with a high biodegradation rate of 0.1534 L/gVSS·h, while sorption and biodegradation jointly promoted other antibiotics removal. The total relative abundance of top 25 bacteria genera was decreased by 10 %. The total relative abundance of top 30 ARGs was decreased by more than 20 %, which was corresponding to the variation of bacterial community. The findings in this research would get a deeper insight into the eliminating antibiotics and controlling ARGs dissemination during nitritation of source-separated urine.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmaceuticals in wastewater treated for beneficial reuse: Two case studies in central Pennsylvania

During the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater surveillance was leveraged as a powerful tool for monitoring community-scale health. Further, the well-known persistence of some pharmaceuticals through wastewater treatment plants spurred concerns that increased usage of pharmaceuticals during the pandemic would increase the concentrations in wastewater treatment plant effluent. We collected weekly influent and effluent samples from May 2020 through May 2021 from two wastewater treatment plants in central Pennsylvania, the Penn State Water Reclamation Facility and the University Area Joint Authority, that provide effluent for beneficial reuse, including for irrigation. Samples were analyzed for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (influent only), two over-the-counter medicines (acetaminophen and naproxen), five antibiotics (ampicillin, doxycycline, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim), two therapeutic agents (remdesivir and dexamethasone), and hydroxychloroquine. Although there were no correlations between pharmaceutical and virus concentration, remdesivir detection occurred when the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 increased, and dexamethasone detection co-occurred with the presence of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators. Additionally, Penn State decision-making regarding instruction modes explained the temporal variation of influent pharmaceutical concentrations, with detection occurring primarily when students were on campus. Risk quotients calculated for pharmaceuticals with known effective and lethal concentrations at which 50% of a population is affected for fish, daphnia, and algae were generally low in the effluent; however, some acute risks from sulfamethoxazole were high when students returned to campus. Remdesivir and dexamethasone persisted through the wastewater treatment plants, thereby introducing novel pharmaceuticals directly to soils and surface water. These results highlight connections between human health and water quality and further demonstrate the broad utility of wastewater surveillance.

Sorption of cefdinir, memantine, praziquantel and trimethoprim in sediment and soil samples

The everyday use of various pharmaceuticals to treat humans or animals means that they are increasingly found in the environment. Contamination of the soil can cause the active ingredients to be strongly sorbed to the soil or sediment. In the worst case, they can also be expected to occur in the aquatic environment due to their different polarity. In this study, four drugs from different therapeutic classes (trimetoprim, memantine, cefdinir, praziquantel) were used in dissolved form in two sediment and three soil samples to obtain data that can describe their fate and behavior in the environment. The sorption affinities of the pharmaceuticals were described using linear, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich sorption isotherms. The highest K_d values were obtained for cefdinir, while memantine and praziquantel tended to be present in water due to their very low sorption coefficients. The studied influence of pH showed a negative trend for memantine and trimetoprim, while an increase in ionic strength resulted in higher K_d values for all drugs. The sorption mechanism for all tested samples was best described by the pseudo-secondary kinetic model (R² > 0.9999).

Isolation and characterization of cyromazine degrading Acinetobacter sp. ZX01 from a Chinese ginger cultivated soil

Cyromazine, a symmetrical triazine insecticide, is used to control dipteran larvae in chicken manure by feeding to the poultry, flies on animals, and leafminers in vegetables. Its extensive use has resulted in the widespread contamination in the environment. In the current study, a cyromazine degrading bacterium (designated strain ZX01) was isolated and characterized from a Chinese ginger cultivated soil by selective enrichment culture method. On the basis of morphological, biochemical characteristics, and 16S rRNA gene sequence, this bacterium showed strong similarity to the Pseudomonadales members and was closely related to the Acinetobacter baumannii group. Spectrophotometric and HPLC analyses revealed that strain ZX01 degraded cyromazine and utilized it as the sole carbon source for its growth. This process hydrolyzes cyromazine to melamine. Strain ZX01 degraded most of the cyromazine in 60 h. Besides, its substrate specificity against four symmetrical triazine herbicides, one triazinone herbicide, as well as 10 insecticides and its antibiotic sensitivity towards eight commercial antibiotics were also tested. At the concentration of 100 µg/mL for 60 h, it could effectively degrade a variety of different pesticides, including atrazine, prometon, simazine, prometryn, enitrothion, diazinon, cypermethrin, and acetamiprid, and the degradation was in the range of 71-87%. In particular, melamine, the main degradation product of cyromazine, was degraded by 47.3%. This microorganism was sensitive to chloramphenicol and tetracycline and intermediate to amoxicillin and trimethoprim. These results highlight that strain ZX01 can be used as a potential biological agent for the remediation of soil, water, or crop contaminated with cyromazine and other symmetrical triazine insecticides.

Quantifying community-wide antimicrobials usage via wastewater-based epidemiology

Increasing usage of antimicrobials is a significant contributor to the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a useful tool for evaluating public health, via the monitoring of chemical and biological markers in wastewater influent, such as antibiotics. Sixteen antimicrobials and their metabolites were studied: sulfonamides, trimethoprim, metronidazole, quinolones, nitrofurantoin, cyclines, and antiretrovirals. Correction factors (CFs) for human drug excretion, for various drug forms, were determined via a systematic literature review of pharmacokinetic research. Analyte stability was examined over a 24 h study. The estimation of community-wide drug intake was evaluated using the corresponding catchment prescription data. Overall, antimicrobials excreted in an unchanged form were often observed to over-estimate daily intake. This could be attributed to biotransformation, e.g., via glucuronide cleavage, or direct disposal of unused drugs. Acetyl-sulfonamides, trimethoprim, hydroxy-metronidazole, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, tetracycline, and oxytetracycline generally performed well in the estimation of drug intake, relative to prescription records. The low prevalence of quinolone and trimethoprim metabolites, and the low stability of nitrofurantoin, limited the ability to evaluate these metabolites and their respective CFs.