
Frontiers in Environmental Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 13
Published: May 6, 2025
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in sludge propagate via horizontal gene transfer (HGT), necessitating advanced mitigation strategies. This study demonstrates TiO 2 nanotube UV photocatalysis effectively degrades ARGs (70.6–82.5% reduction) and suppresses HGT by targeting mobile genetic elements (MGEs; 93.4–97.1% removal). Hierarchical nanotubes (anatase phase) generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducing oxidative DNA damage cell lysis, preferentially eliminating intracellular (33.5–46.6% decline) while converting them to extracellular forms. Mobile (MGEs) ( tnpA-04 / intI1 ) were selectively fragmented ROS, outperforming HOCl-based systems. Microbial analysis revealed Proteobacteria (e.g., Kofleria as key ARG hosts, whose decline correlated with reduction p <0.05). Radiation-resistant Deinococcus dominated post-treatment communities but lacked associations, indicating non-transmissible residual risks. Spatial-specific degradation mechanisms emerged: directly chromosomal ARGs, ROS oxidized plasmid-borne MGEs, achieving dual elimination blockade. The intracellular-to-extracellular shift host-MGE decoupling confirmed transmission disruption. work establishes a paradigm for treatment, synchronizing removal environmental risk through ROS-microbe-DNA interplay.
Language: Английский