Seasonal variation in structural and functional distribution of periphyton in a macrolide antibiotics-contaminated river

Environ Pollut. 2024 Feb 9:123495. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123495. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPeriphyton, a microbial assemblage of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms, is vital to aquatic ecosystems. While exposure to macrolide antibiotics has been confirmed to reduce the biodiversity and damage the critical ecological functions in indoor microcosm bioassays, the distribution of periphyton along a macrolide antibiotic pollution gradient in a river has yet to be determined. Herein, we established the spatiotemporal distribution of five major macrolides, i.e., azithromycin (AZI), roxithromycin (ROX), erythromycin (ERY), clarithromycin (CLA), and anhydro erythromycin (ERY-H2O) in water and periphyton of Zao River (Xi'an, China), after which we evaluated the effects on the structures, photosynthetic activity, and carbon utilization capacity of periphyton in March, June, and September 2023. In contrast with the reference sites, the macrolides were identified in all sewage treatment plants (STPs) impacted sites with concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 2.18 μg/L in water and from not detected - 9.67 μg/g in periphyton. Regarding community structure, the occurrence of macrolides was negatively linked to Firmicutes Exiguobacterium undae and Exiguobacterium sibiricum, Cyanobacteria Oscillatoriales and Vischeria sp., and chlorophyta Monostroma grevillei, Selenastrum sp. LU21 and Desmodesmus subspicatus. At the functional level, only the metabolism of phenolic acids was sign...
Source: Environmental Pollution - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: research