Chlorination-induced spread of antibiotic resistance genes in drinking water systems

IF 12.4 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL Water Research Pub Date : 2025-04-15 Epub Date: 2025-01-03 DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2025.123092

Weixin Zhao , Yanan Hou , Liangliang Wei , Wei Wei , Kefeng Zhang , Haoran Duan , Bing-Jie Ni

{"title":"Chlorination-induced spread of antibiotic resistance genes in drinking water systems","authors":"Weixin Zhao , Yanan Hou , Liangliang Wei , Wei Wei , Kefeng Zhang , Haoran Duan , Bing-Jie Ni","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.123092","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chlorine, the most widely utilized disinfectant for drinking water globally, has recently been implicated in facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), raising concerns about its underestimated environmental and ecological risks. However, given the current fragmented research focus and results, a comprehensive understanding of the potential mechanisms and influencing factors behind chlorination-promoted ARGs transmission in drinking water systems is crucial. This work is the first to systematically review the variations in abundance, transmission mechanisms, influencing factors, and mitigation strategies related to ARGs during the chlorination process. The results indicated that chlorination could induce genetic mutations and promote horizontal gene transfer through multiple pathways, including increased reactive oxygen species, enhanced membrane permeability, stimulation of the SOS response, and activation of efflux pumps. In addition, this work delves into significant discoveries regarding the factors affecting ARG transmission in drinking water, such as chlorine concentration, reaction time, disinfection byproducts, pipe materials, biofilms, and the water matrix. A series of effective strategies from water source to point-of-use were proposed aimed at mitigating ARGs transmission risks in the drinking water system. Finally, we address existing challenges and outline future research directions to overcome these bottlenecks. Overall, this review aims to advance our understanding of the role of chlorination in the dissemination of ARGs and to inspire innovative research ideas for optimizing disinfection techniques, minimizing the risks of antibiotic resistance transmission, and enhancing the safety of drinking water.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 123092"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Water Research","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135425000065","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/3 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Chlorine, the most widely utilized disinfectant for drinking water globally, has recently been implicated in facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), raising concerns about its underestimated environmental and ecological risks. However, given the current fragmented research focus and results, a comprehensive understanding of the potential mechanisms and influencing factors behind chlorination-promoted ARGs transmission in drinking water systems is crucial. This work is the first to systematically review the variations in abundance, transmission mechanisms, influencing factors, and mitigation strategies related to ARGs during the chlorination process. The results indicated that chlorination could induce genetic mutations and promote horizontal gene transfer through multiple pathways, including increased reactive oxygen species, enhanced membrane permeability, stimulation of the SOS response, and activation of efflux pumps. In addition, this work delves into significant discoveries regarding the factors affecting ARG transmission in drinking water, such as chlorine concentration, reaction time, disinfection byproducts, pipe materials, biofilms, and the water matrix. A series of effective strategies from water source to point-of-use were proposed aimed at mitigating ARGs transmission risks in the drinking water system. Finally, we address existing challenges and outline future research directions to overcome these bottlenecks. Overall, this review aims to advance our understanding of the role of chlorination in the dissemination of ARGs and to inspire innovative research ideas for optimizing disinfection techniques, minimizing the risks of antibiotic resistance transmission, and enhancing the safety of drinking water.

Abstract Image

查看原文

微信好友朋友圈 QQ好友复制链接

本刊更多论文

氯化引起的饮用水系统中抗生素抗性基因的传播

氯是全球使用最广泛的饮用水消毒剂，最近发现它有助于抗生素耐药基因（ARGs）的传播，引起人们对其低估的环境和生态风险的担忧。然而，鉴于目前零散的研究重点和结果，全面了解氯化促进饮用水系统中ARGs传播的潜在机制和影响因素至关重要。本研究首次系统回顾了氯化过程中与ARGs相关的丰度变化、传播机制、影响因素和缓解策略。结果表明，氯化可通过增加活性氧、增强细胞膜通透性、刺激SOS反应和激活外排泵等多种途径诱导基因突变并促进基因水平转移。此外，本工作还深入研究了影响饮用水中ARG传播的因素，如氯浓度、反应时间、消毒副产物、管道材料、生物膜和水基质等。提出了一系列从水源到使用点的有效策略，旨在降低饮用水系统中ARGs的传播风险。最后，我们提出了现有的挑战，并概述了未来的研究方向，以克服这些瓶颈。综上所述，本文旨在加深我们对氯化作用在ARGs传播中的作用的认识，并为优化消毒技术、降低抗生素耐药性传播风险和提高饮用水安全提供创新的研究思路。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文去求助

来源期刊

Water Research 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

20.80

自引率

9.40%

发文量

1307

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Water Research, along with its open access companion journal Water Research X, serves as a platform for publishing original research papers covering various aspects of the science and technology related to the anthropogenic water cycle, water quality, and its management worldwide. The audience targeted by the journal comprises biologists, chemical engineers, chemists, civil engineers, environmental engineers, limnologists, and microbiologists. The scope of the journal include: •Treatment processes for water and wastewaters (municipal, agricultural, industrial, and on-site treatment), including resource recovery and residuals management; •Urban hydrology including sewer systems, stormwater management, and green infrastructure; •Drinking water treatment and distribution; •Potable and non-potable water reuse; •Sanitation, public health, and risk assessment; •Anaerobic digestion, solid and hazardous waste management, including source characterization and the effects and control of leachates and gaseous emissions; •Contaminants (chemical, microbial, anthropogenic particles such as nanoparticles or microplastics) and related water quality sensing, monitoring, fate, and assessment; •Anthropogenic impacts on inland, tidal, coastal and urban waters, focusing on surface and ground waters, and point and non-point sources of pollution; •Environmental restoration, linked to surface water, groundwater and groundwater remediation; •Analysis of the interfaces between sediments and water, and between water and atmosphere, focusing specifically on anthropogenic impacts; •Mathematical modelling, systems analysis, machine learning, and beneficial use of big data related to the anthropogenic water cycle; •Socio-economic, policy, and regulations studies.