Trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking water
Abstract This study investigated the changes in water quality and microbial risks resulting from trace metal pollutants in stagnant drinking water conditions using a 168-h experimental simulation and a metagenomic approach. The results showed that Fe(III) increased the water turbidity. Stagnation al...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | npj Clean Water |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00436-8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823863442461687808 |
|---|---|
| author | Bowei Li Ling Feng Rakia Chouari Sofia Samoili Stefanos Giannakis |
| author_facet | Bowei Li Ling Feng Rakia Chouari Sofia Samoili Stefanos Giannakis |
| author_sort | Bowei Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study investigated the changes in water quality and microbial risks resulting from trace metal pollutants in stagnant drinking water conditions using a 168-h experimental simulation and a metagenomic approach. The results showed that Fe(III) increased the water turbidity. Stagnation also caused significant biofilm growth, which was increased by trace metal pollutants, resulting in a higher production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Adaptive mechanisms of bacterial communities dominated by Pseudomonadota in response to trace metal pollutant stress were discovered. Pathogenic bacteria, particularly Salmonella enterica and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were found in stagnant drinking water, potentially exacerbated by Al(III). The overall exposure risk of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) increased, whereas Fe(III) enhanced the co-occurrence of ARGs and pathogens, potentially leading to serious hidden microbial risks. This study reveals imperceptible microbial risks posed by trace metal pollutants in stagnant drinking water, providing scientific warning and advice for drinking water safety. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df39701893c0461ebebf6787fbf39965 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2059-7037 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Clean Water |
| spelling | doaj-art-df39701893c0461ebebf6787fbf399652025-02-09T12:09:18ZengNature Portfolionpj Clean Water2059-70372025-02-018111210.1038/s41545-025-00436-8Trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking waterBowei Li0Ling Feng1Rakia Chouari2Sofia Samoili3Stefanos Giannakis4Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Environment Pollution Control & Waste Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia UniversityInner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Environment Pollution Control & Waste Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia UniversityUniversity of Carthage, Laboratory of Plant Toxicology and Environmental Microbiology (LR18ES38), Faculty of Sciences of BizerteInstituto Superior de Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Business Research Unit (BRU-IUL), Avenida das Forças ArmadasUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Departamento de Ingeniería Civil: Hidráulica, Energía y Medio Ambiente, Environment, Coast and Ocean Research Laboratory (ECOREL-UPM)Abstract This study investigated the changes in water quality and microbial risks resulting from trace metal pollutants in stagnant drinking water conditions using a 168-h experimental simulation and a metagenomic approach. The results showed that Fe(III) increased the water turbidity. Stagnation also caused significant biofilm growth, which was increased by trace metal pollutants, resulting in a higher production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Adaptive mechanisms of bacterial communities dominated by Pseudomonadota in response to trace metal pollutant stress were discovered. Pathogenic bacteria, particularly Salmonella enterica and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were found in stagnant drinking water, potentially exacerbated by Al(III). The overall exposure risk of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) increased, whereas Fe(III) enhanced the co-occurrence of ARGs and pathogens, potentially leading to serious hidden microbial risks. This study reveals imperceptible microbial risks posed by trace metal pollutants in stagnant drinking water, providing scientific warning and advice for drinking water safety.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00436-8 |
| spellingShingle | Bowei Li Ling Feng Rakia Chouari Sofia Samoili Stefanos Giannakis Trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking water npj Clean Water |
| title | Trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking water |
| title_full | Trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking water |
| title_fullStr | Trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking water |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking water |
| title_short | Trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking water |
| title_sort | trace metals induce microbial risk and antimicrobial resistance in biofilm in drinking water |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00436-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT boweili tracemetalsinducemicrobialriskandantimicrobialresistanceinbiofilmindrinkingwater AT lingfeng tracemetalsinducemicrobialriskandantimicrobialresistanceinbiofilmindrinkingwater AT rakiachouari tracemetalsinducemicrobialriskandantimicrobialresistanceinbiofilmindrinkingwater AT sofiasamoili tracemetalsinducemicrobialriskandantimicrobialresistanceinbiofilmindrinkingwater AT stefanosgiannakis tracemetalsinducemicrobialriskandantimicrobialresistanceinbiofilmindrinkingwater |