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Yang S, Li D, Fu S, Zheng J, Zhu Y, Li H, Zeng H, Zhang J. Decoding the effect of antibiotics on biofilm formation in biofilters. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2025; 385:125698. [PMID: 40347873 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2025] [Revised: 04/21/2025] [Accepted: 05/04/2025] [Indexed: 05/14/2025]
Abstract
Biofilms have extensive applications and important roles in biological processes. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of low-concentration sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on biofilm development in biofilters. The effects of various SMX concentrations (0, 100 ng/L, 1000 ng/L) on microbial development were compared. Compared with the control group without SMX, the start-up period of R2 and R3 filters with SMX added was decreased by 9 % and 21 %, respectively. Under antibiotic stimulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) concentrations increased, aligning with changes in extracellular polymer content and biofilm formation. Microbial community results showed that the presence of SMX promoted the growth of some manganese-oxidizing bacteria (MnOB), such as Massilia, Pedomicrobium, Sphingopyxis, Pseudomonas, and Bacillus. Functional gene analysis further revealed higher expression levels of genes related to c-di-GMP transformation in the presence of SMX. These findings suggest that microbial communities can adapt to their environment by accelerating biofilm formation at lower antibiotic concentrations. The results of this study provide new insights into the impact of low-concentration antibiotics on biofilm development and offer a crucial reference for biofilter design and optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100123, China.
| | - Dong Li
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100123, China.
| | - Sibo Fu
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100123, China.
| | - Jifang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100123, China.
| | - Yanjun Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100123, China.
| | - Hongpeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100123, China.
| | - Huiping Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100123, China.
| | - Jie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Water Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100123, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
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Xu W, Ma W, Zhang S, Cui B, Zhou D. Influent chemical oxygen demand to nitrogen ratio regulate microbial intercellular communication influencing partial nitrification performance. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2025; 432:132648. [PMID: 40349791 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2025.132648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2025] [Revised: 04/02/2025] [Accepted: 05/07/2025] [Indexed: 05/14/2025]
Abstract
Achieving nitrite accumulation in mainstream municipal wastewater provides significant economic and ecological benefits. Acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs)-mediated microbial interspecies signaling regulates activated sludge system performance and promotes nitrogen transformation processes, though their specific regulatory mechanisms influencing nitrite accumulation remain unclear. This study investigated nitrogen transformation and microbial interactions under varying chemical oxygen demand to nitrogen (COD/N) ratios through long-term cultivation and exogenous AHLs addition experiments. Results demonstrated that a COD/N ratio of 3 caused a 65.8 % nitrite accumulation ratio by significantly inhibiting nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) metabolism. Functional AHLs (3-OXO-C12-HSL and C6-HSL) and key partial nitrification-promoting microorganisms (Thauera and Ca. Accumulibacter) were identified. Exogenous AHLs addition experiments demonstrated that C6-HSL promotes nitrification activity while C12-OXO-HSL inhibits it. Notably, AHLs-mediated regulation exhibits stronger regulation on NOB than ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing partial nitrification through microbial community self-regulation in municipal wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Low-Carbon Treatment and Green Development of Polluted Water in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Wenhan Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Low-Carbon Treatment and Green Development of Polluted Water in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Sixin Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Low-Carbon Treatment and Green Development of Polluted Water in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Bin Cui
- Engineering Research Center of Low-Carbon Treatment and Green Development of Polluted Water in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China.
| | - Dandan Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of Low-Carbon Treatment and Green Development of Polluted Water in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China.
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Ni M, Pan Y, Gong J, Chen Z, Li D, Huang Y, Li L, Ding Y, Bi Z. Glycogen-accumulating organisms promote phosphate recovery from wastewater by pilot-scale biofilm sequencing batch reactor: Performance and mechanism. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2025; 418:131910. [PMID: 39615760 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2024] [Revised: 11/25/2024] [Accepted: 11/27/2024] [Indexed: 12/12/2024]
Abstract
A high phosphate (P) recovery concentration was achieved in pilot-scale biofilm sequencing batch reactor (BSBR) with a low carbon source (C) cost. Especially, a high-abundance glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) (13.93-31.72%) was detected that was accompanied by a high P recovery concentration of BSBR. High-abundance GAOs obtain additional C through various C compensation pathways (split tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle), glyoxylate shunt and gluconeogenesis), thus reducing the need to compete with polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) for C and weakening the adverse effects on P recovery by PAO cells. Under the action of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs)-mediated quorum sensing (QS), GAOs promoted the secretion of a large amount of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which helped to realize the P recovery of EPS-dominated biofilms (68.02%-96.89%). This study provides a low-carbon technology for the recovery of high concentration P from municipal wastewater, and improves the ecological theory of P recovery in collaboration with GAOs and PAOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Ni
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yang Pan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
| | - Jiahui Gong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Zhiqiang Chen
- Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150006, China
| | - Dapeng Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yong Huang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Lu Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yanyan Ding
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Zhen Bi
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
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Zhu Q, Du Y, Zheng Y, Hu Z, Liu Z, Hu J, Hou H. Quorum quenching inhibits the formation and electroactivity of electrogenic biofilm by weakening intracellular c-di-GMP and extracellular AHL-mediated signal communication. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 266:120604. [PMID: 39667480 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2024] [Revised: 12/06/2024] [Accepted: 12/09/2024] [Indexed: 12/14/2024]
Abstract
Electrogenic biofilm formation has been shown to be induced by intracellular c-di-GMP signaling and extracellular quorum sensing, but their interactions have been rarely explored. This study explored the effects of quorum quenching (induced by adding acylase) on electrogenic biofilm development and its underlying mechanisms. Quorum quenching impaired the electricity generation and electroactivity of electrogenic biofilms as indicated by dye decolorization rate. It significantly decreased the proportion of typical exoelectrogen Geobacter from 62.0% to 36.5% after 90 days of operation, and enriched some other functional genera (e.g., Dysgonomonas and Sphaerochaeta) to ensure normal physiological function. Moreover, metagenomic analysis revealed that the addition of acylase weakened the potential of chemical communication, as indicated by the decrease in the abundance of genes encoding the production of AHL and c-di-GMP, and the increase in the abundance of aiiA and pvdQ genes (encoding quorum quenching) and cdgC gene (responsible for c-di-GMP breakdown). Functional contribution analysis indicated that Geobacter was a major contributor to hdtS gene (encoding AHL synthesis). These findings demonstrated that quorum quenching adversely impaired not only quorum sensing but also intracellular c-di-GMP signaling, ultimately inhibiting the development of biofilm. This work lays the foundation for regulating electrogenic biofilm development and improving the performance of microbial electrochemical system using signal communication strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Pollutant Analysis and Reuse Technology, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, 435002, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yingying Du
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Pollutant Analysis and Reuse Technology, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, 435002, China
| | - Yanyan Zheng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Pollutant Analysis and Reuse Technology, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, 435002, China
| | - Ziyi Hu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Pollutant Analysis and Reuse Technology, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, 435002, China
| | - Zikang Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Pollutant Analysis and Reuse Technology, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, 435002, China
| | - Jingping Hu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Huijie Hou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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Wang X, Zhang J, Li L, Zhu Y, Zhang Y, Ni M, Ding Y, Huang Y, Pan Y. Formation mechanism of high biofilm phosphorus storage capacity and its effect on phosphorus uptake-release and carbon source consumption. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 412:131363. [PMID: 39197659 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
Phosphorus recovery from wastewater is an effective method to alleviate the shortage of phosphorus resources. The biofilm phosphorus recovery process can realize simultaneous removal and enrichment of phosphorus in wastewater. In this study, a sequencing batch biofilm reactor was constructed to study the rapid phosphorus release and slow phosphorus release stages in the phosphorus recovery cycle. The relationship between high biofilm phosphorus storage capacity (Pbiofilm), phosphorus recovery solution concentration, phosphorus uptake-release behavior and carbon source consumption were explored. The increase in phosphorus recovery solution concentration promotes the elevation of Pbiofilm, which, conversely promotes phosphorus release in the next recovery cycle. In addition, the distinct phosphorus uptake-release characteristics of extracellular polymeric substances and cells were illustrated. This study provides a theoretical foundation to elevate the phosphorus recovery efficiency and reduce carbon source consumption in biofilm phosphorus recovery process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoya Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Suzhou Drainage Company Limited, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Lu Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
| | - Ye Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Min Ni
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yanyan Ding
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yong Huang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Yang Pan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China; National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Municipal Sewage Resource Utilization Technology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
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