Simultaneous antibiotic removal and mitigation of resistance induction by manganese bio-oxidation process.

Microbial degradation to remove residual antibiotics in wastewater is of growing interest. However, biological treatment of antibiotics may cause resistance dissemination by mutations and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, a Mn(Ⅱ)-oxidizing bacterium (MnOB), Pseudomonas aeruginosa MQ2, simultaneously degraded antibiotics, decreased HGT, and mitigated antibiotic resistance mutation. Intracellular Mn(II) levels increased during manganese oxidation, and biogenic manganese oxides (BioMnOx, including Mn(II), Mn(III) and Mn(IV)) tightly coated the cell surface. Mn(II) bio-oxidation mitigated antibiotic resistance acquisition from an E. coli ARG donor and mitigated antibiotic resistance inducement by decreasing conjugative transfer and mutation, respectively. BioMnOx also oxidized ciprofloxacin (1 mg/L) and tetracycline (5 mg/L), respectively removing 93% and 96% within 24 h. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that two new multicopper oxidase and one peroxidase genes are involved in Mn(II) oxidation. Downregulation of SOS response, multidrug resistance and type Ⅳ secretion system related genes explained that Mn(II) and BioMnOx decreased HGT and mitigated resistance mutation by alleviating oxidative stress, which makes recipient cells more vulnerable to ARG acquisition and mutation. A manganese bio-oxidation based reactor was constructed and completely removed tetracycline with environmental concentration within 4-hour hydraulic retention time. Overall, this study suggests that Mn (II) bio-oxidation process could be exploited to control antibiotic contamination and mitigate resistance propagation during water treatment.

[Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of PPCPs in Surface Water and Sediments of Lakes in the Lower Reaches of the Huaihe River].

In order to understand the occurrence characteristics and ecological risks of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in surface water and sediments of Hongze Lake and Gaoyou Lake in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River, 43 surface water and sediment samples from 23 sampling sites were collected, and 61 PPCPs were detected in the samples. The concentration level and spatial distribution of target PPCPs in Hongze Lake and Gaoyou Lake were analyzed, the distribution coefficient of typical PPCPs in the water/sediment system in the study area was calculated, and the ecological risk of target PPCPs was evaluated using the entropy method. The results showed that the PPCPs in surface water of Hongze Lake and Gaoyou Lake were 1.56-2534.44 ng·L-1 and 3.32-1027.47 ng·L-1, respectively, and those in sediment were 1.7-926.7 ng·g-1 and 1.02-289.37 ng·g-1, respectively. The concentrations of lincomycin (LIN) in surface water and doxycycline (DOX) in sediment were the highest, and antibiotics were the main components. The spatial distribution of PPCPs was higher in Hongze Lake and lower in Gaoyou Lake. The distribution characteristics of typical PPCPs in the study area showed that typical PPCPs tended to stay in the water phase, and there was a significant correlation between lg Koc and lg Kd, indicating that total organic carbon (TOC) played an important role in the distribution of typical PPCPs in the water/sediment system. The ecological risk assessment results showed that the ecological risk of PPCPs to algae in surface water and sediment was significantly higher than that of fleas and fish, the ecological risk value of PPCPs in surface water was higher than that in sediment, and the ecological risk of Hongze Lake was higher than that of Gaoyou Lake.

Water quality criteria and ecological risk assessment for copper in Liaodong Bay, China.

The establishment of water quality criteria (WQC) for copper (Cu) was used as the basis for an ecological risk assessment of marine Cu pollution in Liaodong Bay, China. Published ecotoxicity data for Cu were obtained and supplemented with the results of acute Cu toxicity tests. The marine WQC for Cu in Liaodong Bay was developed using a species sensitivity distribution method with a safety factor of 2.0 and the USEPA acute-to-chronic ratio method. The ecological risk of Cu in Liaodong Bay was assessed by comparing the seawater Cu concentrations with the developed WQC. The results of this study showed that the acute and chronic Cu concentrations in Liaodong Bay were 3.31 and 2.18 µg/L, respectively. Comparison of the WQC to Cu concentrations in the bay resulted in risk quotients slightly >1.0 and typically ≤2.0. These data suggest that certain organisms in Liaodong Bay are at risk. These results can assist in the development of a pollution control management approach for the bay.

Efficacy and safety of intravitreal HLX04-O, an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of HLX04-O, an investigational ophthalmic formulation of HLX04 (bevacizumab biosimilar) for intravitreal injection, as a treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) in a phase 1/2 clinical trial (NCT04993352). METHODS: Eligible patients with wAMD were enrolled to receive HLX04-O intravitreal injections at a dose of 1.25 mg/0.05 mL every four weeks. Efficacy and adverse events were evaluated every month during study visits. RESULTS: A 76-year-old male with wAMD in his left eye participated in the trial and completed six cycles of HLX04-O intravitreal injections. Changes were observed in macular center point thickness (baseline vs last study visit, 437 vs 255 µm) and best-corrected visual acuity letter score (baseline vs last study visit, 36 vs 77) of the affected eye, which indicated an improvement in wAMD over treatment. No adverse events were reported by the data cutoff date. CONCLUSION: HLX04-O at 1.25 mg/0.05 mL every four weeks is well tolerated in this patient, demonstrating promising safety and efficacy in wAMD treatment. Large-scale studies are required to confirm the outcomes.

A Carotenoid- and Nuclease-Producing Bacterium Can Mitigate Enterococcus faecalis Transformation by Antibiotic Resistance Genes.

Dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) through natural transformation is facilitated by factors that stabilize extracellular DNA (eDNA) and that induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that permeabilize receptor cells and upregulate transformation competence genes. In this study, we demonstrate that Deinococcus radiodurans can mitigate this ARG dissemination pathway by removing both eDNA and ROS that make recipient cells more vulnerable to transformation. We used plasmid RP4 as source of extracellular ARGs (tetA, aphA, and blaTEM-2) and the opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis as receptor. The presence of D. radiodurans significantly reduced the transformation frequency from 2.5 ± 0.7 × 10-6 to 7.4 ± 1.4 × 10-7 (p < 0.05). Based on quantification of intracellular ROS accumulation and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and transcriptomic analyses, we propose two mechanisms by which D. radiodurans mitigates E. faecalis transformation by ARGs: (a) residual antibiotics induce D. radiodurans to synthesize liposoluble carotenoids that scavenge ROS and thus mitigate the susceptibility of E. faecalis for eDNA uptake, and (b) eDNA induces D. radiodurans to synthesize extracellular nucleases that degrade eARGs. This mechanistic insight informs biological strategies (including bioaugmentation) to curtail the spread of ARGs through transformation.

[Natural Water Chemistry Change in the Surface Water of Chengdu and Impact Factors].

To investigate the impact of megacities on the chemistry of surface waters, monthly sampling and monitoring were conducted in the Chengdu section of the Minjiang and Tuojiang River basin, corresponding to the upper reaches of the Yangtze River since the spring of 2019, including the influent and effluent water samples from 57 sewage treatment plants in Chengdu. All the samples were analyzed for major ions and other water chemistry parameters, and compared with the historical data of the Minjiang and Tuojiang River. The results showed that the Chengdu surface water still presented a natural chemistry with medium-low total dissolved solids(TDS), and calcium bicarbonate chemistry type, which is the natural consequence of the weathering of carbonate rocks in the basin effected by the weathering of silicates and evaporites. The natural water chemistry of the surface waters in Chengdu presented monthly variation, i.e.,the concentration of major ions and TDS was higher in the dry season compared to the wet season, reflecting the variations of point source. Spatially, the concentration of major ions and TDS downstream of the city was higher than those in the upper reaches, and the concentration in the tributary was higher than that in the mainstream, which may reflect urban influence. Further analyses, such as simulation calculations, indicated that urban activities were the major driving factor for the chemistry change in the surface waters in Chengdu, which is evidenced by the significant contribution of the sewage discharge to the elevated Cl- and Na+ and the ratio of hardness/alkalinity>1 from anthropogenic acid gas emissions. A comparison with the water chemistry of the Minjiang and Tuojiang River in the 1960s indicated that, the current Cl-/Na+ ratio has significantly increased, which has been evidenced by a salinization trend. As a megacity nearest to the source of the Yangtze River, the impact of Chengdu on the natural water chemistry of the Yangtze River system and its environmental effects deserves more attention.

Will a Non-antibiotic Metalloid Enhance the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance Genes: The Selenate Story.

The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has become an increasingly serious threat to public health. Previous studies illustrate the antibiotic-like effect of many substances. However, whether and how commonly used or existing non-antibiotic metalloids (e.g., selenate) would enhance ARG spread remains poorly known. Here, we tracked the long-term operation of a bioreactor continuously fed with selenate for more than 1000 days. Metagenomic sequencing identified 191 different ARGs, of which the total abundance increased significantly after the amendment of selenate. Network analyses showed that ARGs resisting multiple drugs had very similar co-occurrence patterns, implying a potentially larger health risk. Host classification not only indicated multidrug-resistant species but also distinguished the mechanism of ARG enrichment for vertical transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Genome reconstruction of an ARG host suggested that selenate and its bioreduction product selenite could stimulate the overproduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species, which was confirmed by the direct measurement. Bacterial membrane permeability, type IV pilus formation, and DNA repair and recombination were also enhanced, together facilitating the horizontal acquirement of ARGs. Overall, this study for the first time highlights the ARG emergence and dissemination induced by a non-antibiotic metalloid and identifies ARG as a factor to consider in selenate bioremediation.

[Pollution Characteristics and Evaluation of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Organic Matter in Sediments of Shanmei Reservoir in Fujian, China].

In order to illuminate pollutants distribution characteristics in sediment of Shanmei Reservoir, sediment samples at 47 sampling stations were collected (include 8 column samples), and concentrations of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and organic matter in the sediment of each station were measured. C/N and the correlation of TN, TP and OM were also analyzed. Finally, pollution assessment for contaminated layer sediments was conducted. The results showed that the average contents of TN, TP and OM (mass fraction) were 1,180 mg · kg⁻¹, 642 mg · kg⁻¹ and 3.30% in the contaminated layer of sediments. Concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were low and stable at the depth of the normal layer. C/N of the contaminated layer of sediments was much higher than those in normal lakes, which showed that large part of OM came from natural land-based sources. Besides, a small part of OM came from phytoplankton, zooplankton and algae. Any two of TN,TP and OM were significantly correlated. This result showed that most of the nitrogen and phosphorus were in the organic form, and they came from similar sources. Evaluation results showed that both organic index and organic nitrogen belonged to the clean category. TP was at a moderate pollution level but not far from the category of heavy pollution.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Concentrations in Drinking Water in Villages along the Huai River in China and Their Association with High Cancer Incidence in Local Population.

This study aims to evaluate the carcinogenic risk of PAHs in the drinking water of counties along the Huai River in China and study their associations with high cancer incidence in local population. We investigated 20 villages with high cancer incidence rates as the risk group and 20 villages with low rates as the control group. Water samples from each village were collected in the winter and summer seasons to analyze the concentrations of 16 PAHs. The carcinogenic risks of the PAHs were calculated for each village using a health risk assessment approach. Results showed that PAHs concentrations in 27.2% of the water samples were higher than the allowable values in China. However, no significant difference in water PAHs concentrations was observed between the risk and control groups (P > 0.05), and no correlation was found between water PAHs concentrations and cancer incidence in these villages. The average upper bound carcinogenic risks were less than 1 × 10(-4) in both groups. In conclusion, PAHs were present in the drinking water of the studied villages, but their carcinogenic risks remained within acceptable limits. PAHs in local drinking water might not be the major environmental cause of the high cancer incidences.

[Possibility of total dissolved solid as one of nutrient baselines in inner Mongolia-Xinjiang plateau].

The temporal changes of total dissolved solid concentrations were analyzed according to the investigations and regular monitoring data in the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang plateau. The result showed that the salinization process in the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang plateau became strong. Integrated regression equation indicated that, the environmental physical and chemical factors affecting chlorophyll-a were total phosphorus and TDS. The relationship between the nutrient and biological variables was analyzed in typical examples in the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang plateau. The results showed that, dissolved oxygen, pH, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, transparency were significant factors that affected TDS of the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang plateau. It presented a significantly negative relationship (P<0.01) between dissolved oxygen, pH and TDS, whereas it presented a significantly positive relationship (P<0.01) between total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and TDS, and a positive relationship (P<0.05) between transparency and TDS was observed. The linear relationship between TDS, eutrophication response variables (i. e., chlorophyll-a and transparency) and reasonable variables (i. e., total phosphorus and total nitrogen) was investigated as well in this paper. The result suggested that TDS should be classified into the nutrient criteria of the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang plateau, which provides a theoretical basis to determine the candidate variables and indicator for lake nutrient criteria in the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang plateau.

[Health risk assessment of heavy metals in typical township water sources in DongjianG River basin].

In order to clarify the distribution characteristics and risk levels of heavy metals in typical drinking water sources of towns in Dongjiang River Basin, several regular water quality indexes as well as concentrations of Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, As, Cr, Hg, Pb and Cd were analyzed in the 45 random water samples of 9 towns in the study area. The risk assessment was conducted according to different drinking water types using the environmental health risk assessment model recommended by U. S. EPA. The results indicated that the metal carcinogenic risk is relatively high in this area. The highest carcinogenic risk was from Cr in reservoir water, with the risk for adult people reaching 1.14 x 10(-4) x(-1) and the risk of children reaching 2.14 x 10(-4) x a(-1). Total carcinogenic risk of reservoir, river and underground water exceeded the accepted level of 5.0 x 10(5) x a(-1) as suggested by ICRP while all the non-carcinogenic risk levels were within the acceptable range. The primary control sequence of metal pollution in this area was Cr > As > Pb > Fe > Zn; the risk value of different drinking water sources descended in this order: reservoir > river > underground water > mountain spring.

[Primary study on enacting the lake nutrient control standard].

It is important precondition to enact viable lake nutrients control standard for lake control and management. Now China is shortage of study on nutrients control standard considering of the regional and nutrient difference. In this paper, five-step method for nutrient control standard is built following the principle of commonality, possibility and practicability. The monitoring data from 1994 to 2005 were divided into six groups according to chlorophyll-a content. Every group is a representative of one grade, oligotrophication, mesotrophication, low eutrophication, middle eutrophication, high eutrophication and extro-eutrophication respectively. In every group, total nitrogen, total phosphate and transparency were analyzed by frequency method, and 50% frequent values were applied. Results came out that the nutrient control standard for Taihu lake is as follows: Chlorophyll-a content were < 1.6 mg x m(-3), 1.6-10 mg x m(-3), 10-26 mg x m(-3), 26-64 mg x m(-3), 64-160 mg x m(-3), > 160 mg x m(-3). Transparence is 0.7 m, 0.4 m, 0.3 m, 0.3 m, 0.3 m and 0.25 m. Total phosphate is 0.03 mg x L(-1), 0.04 mg x L(-1), 0.06 mg x L(-1), 0.09 mg x L(-1), 0.12 mg x L(-1), 0.18 mg x L(-1). Total Nitrogen is 0.6 mg x L(-1), 1.7 mg x L(-1), 2.2 mg x L(-1), 3.2 mg x L(-1), 4.2 mg x L(-1), 6.2 mg x L(-1). This study would offer the experience for enacting nutrient control standard in the other lake region of China, also would offer the theoretic support for eutrophication control in China.

Effects of chitosan on growth of an aquatic plant (Hydrilla verticillata) in polluted waters with different chemical oxygen demands.

Effects of chitosan on a submersed plant, Hydrilla verticillata, were investigated. Results indicated that H. verticillata could prevent ultrastructure phytotoxicities and oxidativereaction from polluted water with high chemical oxygen demand (COD). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in H. verticillata treated with 0.1% chitosan in wastewater increased with high COD (980 mg/L) and decreased with low COD (63 mg/L), respectively. Ultrastructural analysis showed that the stroma and grana of chloroplast basically remained normal. However, plant cells from the control experiment (untreated with chitosan) were vacuolated and the cell interval increased. The relict of protoplast moved to the center, with cells tending to disjoint. Our findings indicate that wastewater with high COD concentration can cause a substantial damage to submersed plant, nevertheless, chitosan probably could alleviate the membrane lipid peroxidization and ultrastructure phytotoxicities, and protect plant cells from stress of high COD concentration polluted water.

[Effects of different concentration ammonium-n on Hydrilla verticillata antioxidant enzymes under Cd stress].

In this paper, submersed plant Hydrilla verticillata was cultivated in a 1/10 Hoagland culture medium added with different concentration NH4 + -N (0, 0. 5, 2. 0, 4. 0 mg x L(-1)) and 10 mg x L(-1) cadmium to study the effects of NH4 + -N on H. verticillata growth and its antioxidant enzyme system under Cd stress, and approach the degradation mechanism of submersed macrophyte in eutrophic and polluted water bodies. The results showed that under 10 mg x L(-1) Cd stress, the chlorophyll content of H. verticillata decreased obviously, and SOD and POD activities increased first but declined then. NH4 + -N accelerated the stress effect of Cd. Under 0. 5 h joint stress of Cd and NH4 + -N, SOD activity increased significantly, while such an increase needed 3 hours under single Cd stress. Relative to chlorophyll and protein, antioxidant enzyme system was an early sensitive index, and SOD was more sensitive than POD. After two days exposure to Cd plus NH4 -N, H. verticillata was mainly stressed by Cd, and NH4+ -N stress could be neglected.

[Equilibrium sorption isotherm for Cu2+ onto Hydrilla verticillata Royle and Myriophyllum spicatum].

Equilibrium sorption isotherms for Cu2+ onto Hydrilla verticillata Royle and Myriophyllum spicatum were studied. Both methods of linear and non-linear fitting were applied to describe the sorption isotherms, and their applicability were analyzed and compared. The results were: (1) The applicability of simulated equation can't be compared only by R2 and chi2 when equilibrium sorption model was used to quantify and contrast the performance of different biosorbents. Both methods of linear and non-linear fitting can be applied in different fitting equations to describe the equilibrium sorption isotherms respectively in order to obtain the actual and credible fitting results, and the fitting equation best accorded with experimental data can be selected; (2) In this experiment, the Langmuir model is more suitable to describe the sorption isotherm of Cu2+ biosorption by H. verticillata and M. spicatum, and there is greater difference between the experimental data and the calculated value of Freundlich model, especially for the linear form of Freundlich model; (3) The content of crude cellulose in dry matter is one of the main factor affecting the biosorption capacity of a submerged aquatic plant, and -OH and -CONH2 groups of polysaccharides on cell wall maybe are active center of biosorption; (4) According to the coefficients qm of the linear form of Langmuir model, the maximum sorption capacity of Cu2+ was found to be 21.55 mg/g and 10.80mg/g for H. verticillata and M. spicatum, respectively. The maximum specific surface area for H. verticillata for binding Cu2+ was 3.23m2/g, and it was 1.62m2/g for M. spicatum.

Evaluating genotoxicity associated with microcystin-LR and its risk to source water safety in Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake.

In recent years cyanobacteria blooms have become a severe problem in Taihu Lake, a large shallow eutrophic lake in China. Microcystins produced by certain genera of cyanobacteria can affect public health in this area because of their acute and chronic toxic effects. In this study, samples of cyanobacteria were collected and extracted by two solvent systems. The extracts were tested with three short-term genotoxicity assays, the ara test, the Ames test, and the SOS/umu test. In addition, temporal variation in the concentrations of microcystin-LR in the water samples was determined and monitored by an ELISA assay. Then the concentration of microcystin-LR in the drinking water was estimated. The risk of microcystin-LR exposure by drinking water was assessed according to tolerable daily intake (TDI). The three genotoxicity assays showed negative results regardless of the solvent system used, and there were clear inconsistencies in the spatiotemporal profiles of genotoxic potential and microcystin concentrations in Taihu Lake. Risk assessment showed that the drinking water from Taihu Lake was not safe from the end of July to the beginning of November because of a high concentration of microcystin-LR. Our study indicated the drinking water from Taihu Lake posed a risk because of the microcystin-LR, although it was neither genotoxic nor associated with genotoxicity of the lake water.

[Effects of both single and combined pollution of Cd and Nh4+ on Hydrilla verticillata and Myriophyllum spicatum].

Combined pollution is more ubiquitous than the single pollution in water and soil environment. Iodine method was used to study the effects of both single and combined pollution of Cd and NH4+ on Hydrilla verticillata and Myriophyllurn spicatum. Results came out that H. verticillata was distinctly stressed at 4.0 mg x L(-1) concentration of NHI4+, oxygen production of photosynthesis and oxygen depletion of respiration all declined, but for M. spicatum ,it was not be stressed. If treated with 0.2 mg x L(-1) Cd, H. verticillata and M. spicatum all were stressed, and H. verticillata was stressed more seriously. Combined pollution of Cd and NH4+ produced cooperative adverse effects on H. verticillata. But for M. spicatum, the stress was less severe comparatively. The main reason was that M. spicatum made of less crude cellulose. So it had less combined pathway with heavy mental than H. wvrticillata. It demonstrated that M. spicatum is suit for pioneer plant comparatively during the process of lake restoration.

Equilibrium and kinetics of copper(II) biosorption by Myriophyllum spicatum L.

The potential use of Myriophyllum spicatum L. biomass as a biosorbent for the removal of copper(II) from aqueous solution was investigated in laboratory condition. The sorption experiments were undertaken to obtain copper(II) biosorption properties of M. spicatum L., i.e. equilibrium time, the maximum capacity, and rate constants. Copper(II) biosorption was fast and equilibrium was attained within 35 min at initial copper(II) concentration of 6 mg/L. Different isotherm models including the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Redlich-Peterson model, were used to investigate the sorption capacity and isotherm. These models showed an excellent match with the experimental data except for the Freundlich model. According to the Langmuir coefficients, the maximum sorption capacity of copper onto M. spicatum L. was 10.80 mg/g. The kinetics of copper(II) sorption was also analysed and rate constants were derived. It was found that the overall sorption process was best described by the pseudo second-order equation, and that intraparticle diffusion was not the rate determining step. The results of this study showed that M. spicatum L. can be considered as useful vehicles for the removal and recovery of copper(II) from aqueous solutions.