Antibiotic resistance genes and the association with bacterial community in biofilms occurring during the drinking water granular activated carbon (GAC) sandwich biofiltration

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132511
• Publication Date: 2023-09-09T08:31:07Z
• Authors: Like Xu; Melisa Canales; Qizhi Zhou; Kersti Karu; Xinyuan Zhou; Jianqiang Su; Luiza C. Campos; Lena Ciric
• Keywords: Biofilter; Nitrospira; Filtration (mathematics)

The granular activated carbon (GAC) sandwich modification to slow sand filtration could be considered as a promising technology for improved drinking water quality. Biofilms developed on and GAC surfaces are expected show functional diversity during the biofiltration. Bench-scale biofilters were set-up run continuously with without antibiotic exposure. Surface (the schmutzdecke) biofilms sampled subject high-throughput qPCR resistance gene (ARG) analysis 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Similar of ARG profile was found in both types biofilms, suggesting that all categories decreased richness along filter bed. In general, surface biofilm remained most active layer regards abundance ARGs, where showed slightly lower risks. Network suggested 10 taxonomic genera implicated possible hosts, among which Nitrospira, Methyloversatilis Methylotenera highest correlation. Overall, this study first attempt consider whole structure biofilter results from help further understand persistence ARGs their association microbial community biofiltration system.