Antibiotics as a silent driver of climate change? A case study investigating methane production in freshwater sediments

Bollinger, Eric; Zubrod, Jochen P.; Lai, Foon Yin; Ahrens, Lutz; Filker, Sabine; Lorke, Andreas; Bundschuh, Mirco

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.113025

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Among the substrates of methane production, acetate and hydrogen bear the maximum significance because of the dominance of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis in methanogenic archaeal metabolic pathways. The same study also indicated a displacement of other bacteria by the dominance of Euryarchaeota, the archaeal phylum of methanogenic species, upon the treatment of antibiotics …”

Section: Impact On Methanogenesis and Climate Changementioning

confidence: 74%

“…137 Although different facets of methanogenesis have been under study for a long time, the evaluation of the roles played by certain anthropogenic chemical stressors such as antibiotics is rare. In this context, Bollinger et al 138 performed a study where five antibiotics were incubated with freshwater sediments under anaerobic conditions for a period of 42 days. It was clearly found that methanogenesis had been increased up to 94% when the antibiotic concentration was 5000 μg/L and up to 29% when the concentration was 50 μg/L.…”

Section: Impact On Methanogenesis and Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

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Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Prevalence, Toxicity, and Remedial Approaches

Chakraborty,

Adhikary,

Bhattacharya

et al. 2023

ACS Chem. Health Saf.

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Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) are synthetic compounds widely used as consumer items such as cosmetics and therapeutic drugs across the globe. The inappropriate disposal of PPCPs in the environment has raised serious concerns regarding their potential adverse impacts on human and animal health. Hence, the present study aims to delve into the environmental contamination of numerous PPCPs and their detrimental impacts on biota and climate change. Mining of data published in the relevant literature has revealed that active ingredients of PPCPs and their metabolites generally invade the ecosystem via multiple sources. Varying concentrations of these contaminants are reported in surface water, groundwater, and wastewater treatment plants. The majority of PPCPs pose acute and chronic toxicity to living organisms. They adversely affect the structure and function of the algal community along with the feeding, mating, metabolic activities, and reproductive behavior of invertebrates, fishes, and higher vertebrates, including humans. The occurrence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations as a response to PPCP contamination is another health concern. In addition, targeting mitochondrial respiratory proteins and cytochrome enzymes by PPCPs might contribute to the onset of multiple physiological ailments. Studies have deciphered the connection between PPCP contamination and methanogenesis, which could potentially impact climate change. Several degradation methods have been used for the removal of PPCPs. However, none of them completely remove the PPCPs from samples. Therefore, developing more advanced eco-friendly approaches is warranted for better treatment of PPCPs in water media. In addition, further investigations are required for the risk assessment of several PPCPs that have not yet been investigated.

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Section: Impact On Methanogenesis and Climate Changementioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Impact On Methanogenesis and Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Prevalence, Toxicity, and Remedial Approaches

Chakraborty,

Adhikary,

Bhattacharya

et al. 2023

ACS Chem. Health Saf.

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“…On the other hand, however, our results reveal a potential direct effect of Bti and its recipient on microbial communities and their activity resulting in higher CH 4 emissions from treated water bodies. Consequently, our study adds to the growing, yet very limited, evidence that chemical and microbial stressors can have adverse effects on carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions in affected aquatic ecosystems [29,[49][50][51]. The biogeochemical implications of these stressors should receive more attention in assessments of their environmental impacts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Effects of chironomid larvae density and mosquito biocide on methane and carbon dioxide dynamics in freshwater sediments

Ganglo,

Manfrin,

Mendoza-Lera

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Small lentic water bodies are important emitters of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), but the processes regulating their dynamics and susceptibility to human-induced stressors are not fully understood. Bioturbation by chironomid larvae has been proposed as a potentially important factor controlling the dynamics of both gases in aquatic sediments. Chironomid abundance can be affected by the application of biocides for mosquito control, such as Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis). Previous research has attributed increases in CH4 and CO2 emissions after Bti application to reduced bioturbation by chironomids. In this study, we separately tested the effect of chironomid bioturbation and Bti addition on CH4 production and emission from natural sediments. In a set of 15 microcosms, we compared CH4 and CO2 emission and production rates with high and low densities of chironomid larvae at the bioturbating stage, and standard and five times (5x) standard Bti dose, with control sediments that contained neither chironomid larvae nor Bti. Regardless of larvae density, chironomid larvae did not affect CH4 nor CO2 emission and production of the sediment, although both rates were more variable in the treatments with organisms. 5xBti dosage, however, led to a more than three-fold increase in CH4 and CO2 production rates, likely stimulated by bioavailable dissolved carbon in the Bti excipient and priming effects. Our results suggest weak effects of bioturbating chironomid larvae on the CH4 and CO2 dynamics in aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, our results point out towards potential functional implications of Bti for carbon cycling beyond those mediated by changes in the macroinvertebrate community.

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DPSR-based study and assessment of the influence pathways of Shanghai urban development level on river methane emission potential during 2011–2020

Zhang

et al. 2023

Ecological Indicators

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Antibiotics as a silent driver of climate change? A case study investigating methane production in freshwater sediments

Cited by 5 publications

References 68 publications

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Prevalence, Toxicity, and Remedial Approaches

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Prevalence, Toxicity, and Remedial Approaches

Effects of chironomid larvae density and mosquito biocide on methane and carbon dioxide dynamics in freshwater sediments

DPSR-based study and assessment of the influence pathways of Shanghai urban development level on river methane emission potential during 2011–2020

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