Metagenomic insights into the influence of pH on antibiotic removal and antibiotic resistance during nitritation: Regulations on functional genus and genes

The changes in pH and the resulting presence of free nitrous acid (FNA) or free ammonia (FA) often inhibit antibiotic biodegradation during nitritation. However, the specific mechanisms through which pH, FNA and FA influence antibiotic removal and the fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are not yet fully understood. In this study, the effects of pH, FNA, and FA on the removal of cefalexin and amoxicillin during nitritation were investigated. The results revealed that the decreased antibiotic removal under both acidic condition (pH 4.5) and alkaline condition (pH 9.5) was due to the inhibition of the expression of amoA in ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and functional genes (hydrolase-encoding genes, transferase-encoding genes, lyase-encoding genes, and oxidoreductase-encoding genes) in heterotrophs. Furthermore, acidity was the primary inhibitor of antibiotic removal at pH 4.5, followed by FNA. Antibiotic removal was primarily inhibited by alkalinity at pH 9.5, followed by FA. The proliferation of ARGs mediated by mobile genetic element was promoted under both acidic and alkaline conditions, attributed to the promotion of FNA and FA, respectively. Overall, this study highlights the inhibitory effects of acidity and alkalinity on antibiotic removal during nitritation.