Characteristics of Sul1 and tet (O, Q, and W) in a pilot-scale A/O reactor for shortcut nitrification-denitrification treating biogas slurry under different C/N ratios

Wang Z. Fu S. Tan H. Chu W. Zhou M. Li X. Zhou H. Yu Y. Nurbekova Z. Temirkhanov A. Sarmurzina Z.S. Tekebayeva Z. Tan Z. Chen Y.
September 2025 Elsevier Ltd

Journal of Water Process Engineering
2025 #77

This study examined the impact of varying carbon-to‑nitrogen (C/N) ratios on pollutant removal performance, the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs; sul1, tetO, tetQ, and tetW), and their correlations with operational parameters in a pilot-scale integrated anoxic–aerobic bioreactor. The system maintained high removal efficiencies for COD (>84.36 %), NH₄⁺-N (>91.42 %), and TN (>86.99 %) even under reduced C/N conditions. While sul1 and tet-type resistance genes (O, Q, and W) showed no significant distribution differences between sludge and biofilm, sul1 exhibited significantly higher abundance than the tet genes. Notably, sul1 abundance declined by 87.74 % as the C/N ratio decreased from 10.58 to 6.17. Correlation analysis revealed that sul1 was positively associated with influent COD (P < 0.01) and negatively with NH₄⁺-N (P < 0.01), whereas tet genes remained relatively stable. Host–ARGs co-occurrence network analysis identified key microbial taxa, such as Luteimonas, potentially contributing to ARGs dissemination. These findings indicate that optimizing parameters such as C/N ratio, dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH can help mitigate ARGs proliferation. Overall, this study highlights the potential for synergistic removal of conventional pollutants and ARGs in wastewater treatment. Future research should consider a broader range of C/N ratios and integrate data-driven predictive models to enhance ARGs control strategies in complex treatment systems.

ARGs removal , Biogas slurry , C/N ratio , Pilot-scale , SCND

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Agricultural Microbial Agents Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
China-Croatia “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Republican Collection of Microorganisms, Astana, Kazakhstan

Agricultural Microbial Agents Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province
China-Croatia “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology
Republican Collection of Microorganisms

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