Source prevention of halogenated antibiotic resistance genes proliferation: UV/sulfite advanced reduction process achieved accurate and efficient elimination of florfenicol antibacterial activity

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2022-11, Vol.849, p.157844-157844, Article 157844
• Main Authors: Ding, Yangcheng, Han, Jinglong, Feng, Huajun, Liang, Yuxiang, Jiang, Wenli, Liu, Shuhao, Liang, Bin, Wang, Meizhen, Li, Zhiling, Wang, Aijie, Ren, Nanqi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advanced reduction process; Antibacterial activity; Antibiotic resistance genes; Florfenicol antibiotic; UV/sulfite
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157844

The production and consumption of halogenated antibiotics, such as florfenicol (FLO), remain high, accompanied by a large amount of antibiotic-containing wastewater, which would induce the potential proliferation and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in conventional biological systems. This study revealed that the introduction of reductive species (mainly H) by adding sulfite during UV irradiation process accelerated the decomposition rate of FLO, increasing from 0.1379 min−1 in the single UV photolytic system to 0.3375 min−1 in the UV/sulfite system. The enhanced photodecomposition in UV/sulfite system was attributed to the improved dehalogenation performance and additional removal of sulfomethyl group at the site of the benzene ring, which were the representative structures consisting of FLO antibacterial activity. Compared with single UV photolysis, UV/sulfite advanced reduction process saved the light energy requirement by 40 % for the evolutionary suppression of floR, and its corresponding class of ARGs in subsequent biotreatment system was controlled at the level of the negative group. Compared with UV/H2O2 and UV/persulfate systems, the decomposition rate of FLO in the UV/S system was the highest and preserved the corresponding carbon source of the coexisting organic compounds for the potential utilization of microbial metabolism in subsequent biotreatment process. These results demonstrated that UV/sulfite advanced reduction process could be adopted as a promising pretreatment option for the source prevention of representative ARGs proliferation of halogenated antibiotics in subsequent biotreatment process. [Display omitted] •Reductive species by adding sulfite under UV irradiation accelerated FLO degradation.•Preferential advanced reduction prevented the proliferation of associated ARGs.•The additional removal pathway enhanced the elimination of antibacterial activity.•The improved reductive dechlorination higher than defluorination in UV/sulfite system