The dispersion characteristics and exposure risks of antibiotic resistance genes and resistant pathogenic bacteria in air——Take a typical municipal sewage treatment plant as an example
GAO Shan-shan1, LIU Shuo1,2, LI Shao-bin1,2, WEI Ze-ran2, XIN Hui-bo2, TIAN Jia-yu1, GAO Min2
1. School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China; 2. Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Abstract：A systematic study on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant pathogenic bacteria in the air and corresponding sewage of the sewage treatment plant was conducted. Their enrichment rate in the air and influencing factors were analyzed, and daily respiratory exposure was assessed. A divergence in the distribution of predominant ARGs in ambient air and sewage was revealed, with Sul1 and tetW being identified as the most abundantly detected genetic markers. The taxonomic composition of the dominant pathogenic bacteria was found to be similar across both matrices, with Bacteroides, Klebsiella, and Enterococcus genera being identified as the most prevalent in sequential order. Enrichment of certain ARGs and pathogenic bacteria was observed in the air of wastewater treatment plants, with the highest enrichment rates being attributed to the tetW gene and Megamonas genus, respectively. The transfer process of ARGs and pathogenic bacteria from wastewater to air was influenced by factors such as water quality and aeration processes. Tracing analysis indicated that approximately 73.59%±3.61% of the bacteria in the air of wastewater treatment plants originated from the sewage. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was successfully isolated from both air and sewage samples, with MRSA in the air being observed to exhibit an antibiotic resistance index (0.24) that was significantly higher than that in sewage (0.077±0.045). Furthermore, MRSA's resistance to vancomycin in the air was also found to be greater than that of the corresponding isolates from sewage. The daily inhalation exposure to bacteria for workers at the wastewater treatment plant was estimated to be (1.9±1.5)×105 copies/d, with average exposure to ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) being calculated as (7.4±7.5)×104 copies/d and (0.8±1.0)×104 copies/d, respectively. The findings of this study were expected to provide scientific data for a comprehensive assessment of health risks associated with air quality in wastewater treatment plants and for the development of corresponding control strategies.
高珊珊, 刘硕, 李少斌, 魏泽冉, 辛会博, 田家宇, 高敏. 空气中耐药基因和致病菌逸散特征与暴露风险——以典型市政污水处理厂为例[J]. 中国环境科学, 2025, 45(4): 2276-2287.
GAO Shan-shan, LIU Shuo, LI Shao-bin, WEI Ze-ran, XIN Hui-bo, TIAN Jia-yu, GAO Min. The dispersion characteristics and exposure risks of antibiotic resistance genes and resistant pathogenic bacteria in air——Take a typical municipal sewage treatment plant as an example. CHINA ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCECE, 2025, 45(4): 2276-2287.
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