Abstract
Bacterial pathogens with multidrug resistance (MDR) characteristics pose a significant public health concern, impeding the effective utilization of antibiotics. In this study, a bisulfite/permanganate (PM/BS) process was used for the rapid inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) and the elimination of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs). Targeting multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (MDR E. coli), the PM/BS process rapidly reduced 3.09-log and 1.05-log within 10 s in real hospital effluent and tap water, respectively. Control experiments revealed enhancements in the inactivation of MDR E. coli with the presence of dissolved oxygen, Fe3+, Mg2+, and Cl−, whereas CO32− and HA inhibited water disinfection. Additionally, the PM/BS process significantly reduced the absolute abundance of two mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and a total of 52 ARGs across nine classes. These genes are responsible for MDR E. coli resistance to clinically important cephalosporins and carbapenems. The removal efficiencies of nine classes of ARGs varied from 91.49 to 98.17 % in ultrapure water and from 28.58 to 87.18 % in hospital effluent, respectively. The average removal efficiency of MGEs in hospital effluent also reached 71.94 %. In-situ generated Mn (III)aq and SO4∙- were further found as key contributors to the rapid inactivation of MDR E. coli and the reduction of ARGs and MGEs. This resulted in severe damage to cell membranes, significant K+ leakage, and protein degradation in MDR E. coli. These findings highlight the potential of the PM/BS process for rapid and efficient inactivation of ARBs and ARGs in both wastewater and drinking water, offering an alternative to traditional oxidants and opening avenues for the application of reactive Mn (III) species in disinfection.
Published Version
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