Redistribution and increased effluent occurrence of phage-associated antibiotic resistance genes during progressive membrane fouling in lab-scale membrane bioreactors

稿件作者:Miao Zhou, Zhaoqi Wang, Hao Tan, Wangchao Chu, Tinghong Wang, Weixuan Wang, Yangwu Chen, Yadan Yu, Houzhen Zhou, Shuhuan Lan, Zhadyrassyn Nurbekova, Aslan Temirkhanov, Yi Wu, Lingyun Gu, Changsun Choi, Xin Li, Zhouliang Tan
通讯作者:Xin Li, Zhouliang Tan
刊物名称:Journal of Hazardous Materials
发表年份:2026
卷:517
期:
页码:143543
影响因子:
文章摘要:

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) effectively remove particulate and microbial contaminants, yet the role of membrane fouling in regulating phage-associated antibiotic resistance genes (pARGs) remains unclear. Here, a laboratory-scale MBR treating real domestic wastewater was operated across three fouling phases to track pARG redistribution and evaluate membrane cleaning. Although effluent pARG relative abundance was, on average, 94.9% lower than influent levels, severe fouling was associated with increased effluent pARG abundance, subtype richness, and risk. Effluent pARG subtypes increased from 7 to 23, with trimethoprim-associated pARGs accounting for 73.91% during late fouling, while effluent profiles became increasingly similar to membrane-biofilm profiles. Predicted lytic phages remained dominant, and distinct pARG–virus–host associations were identified, with dfrC emerging as a potential key node. EPS remodeling, elevated reactive oxygen species, and enhanced antioxidant responses were consistent with early- to middle-stage pARG retention and increased effluent occurrence under severe fouling. Under the tested conditions, citric acid cleaning showed an apparent trend toward more extensive composite-fouling removal and a more sustained low-pARG trajectory than ultrapure-water backwashing. These findings identify membrane biofilms as important interfaces associated with pARG retention and redistribution and highlight pARG occurrence as a consideration in membrane-cleaning strategies.