摘要
      粒径分离气溶胶的产生是污水处理厂的一个重要生态环境问题，但亚微米气溶胶（PM1.0）中潜在病原体和抗生素耐药性的特征几乎未知。在此，分别使用16S rRNA基因扩增和鸟枪宏基因组测序来研究全规模污水处理厂PM1.0中潜在病原体和抗生素耐药性基因（ARGs）的图谱。不动杆菌和sul1分别是曝气过程中PM1.0的主要潜在病原体和ARG亚型。WWTP-PM1.0、废水/污泥和环境空气共有9种潜在病原体和147种ARG亚型。在WWTP-PM1.0和废水/污泥之间发现了潜在病原体或ARGs的显著差异，然而，废水/污泥比环境空气具有更重要的来源贡献。此外，至少一个处理单元的PM1.0中有13种潜在病原体和40种ARG亚型易于雾化。ARG主要由变形杆菌携带，多药耐药基因是潜在病原体携带最多的ARG类型。总之，这项研究表明了潜在病原体、ARGs和携带ARG的潜在病原体在WWTP-PM1.0中的流行率，这突出了PM1.0在将潜在病原体和抗生素耐药性传播到空气环境中的潜在风险。
Abstract
Generation of size-segregated aerosols is an important eco-environmental problem in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), but the characteristics of potential pathogens and antibiotic resistomes in submicron aerosols (PM1.0) were almost unknown. Here, 16S rRNA gene amplification and shotgun metagenome sequencing were respectively used to study the profiles of potential pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in PM1.0 from a full-scale WWTP. Acinetobacter and sul1 were respectively the predominant potential pathogens and ARG subtypes in PM1.0 from aeration process. A total of 9 potential pathogens and 147 ARG subtypes, were shared among WWTP-PM1.0, wastewater/sludge, and ambient air. Significant differences of potential pathogens or ARGs were found between WWTP-PM1.0 and wastewater/sludge, however, wastewater/sludge had more crucial source contribution than the ambient air. Moreover, 13 potential pathogens and 40 ARG subtypes were easily aerosolized in PM1.0 from at least one of the treatment units. ARGs were mainly harbored by Proteobacteria, and multidrug resistance genes were the most ARG type carried by potential pathogens. Taken together, this study indicates the prevalence of potential pathogens, ARGs, and ARG-carrying potential pathogens in WWTP-PM1.0, which highlights the potential risk of PM1.0 in spreading potential pathogens and antibiotic resistomes into the air environments.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969722006131