There is a growing pressure to mitigate the discharge of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from municipal treatment systems. Here, guanine imprinted graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was synthesized for selective degradation of plasmid-encoded ARG (blaNDM-1) in secondary effluent. The molecularly imprinted g-C3N4 (CN-MIP) exhibited specific and efficient adsorption of ARGs, which improved the utilization of photogenerated reactive species by ARGs rather than background non-targeted constituents. Consequently, the photocatalytic degradation of blaNDM-1 in secondary effluent by CN-MIP (0.030 ± 0.002 min-1) is 30 times higher than non-molecularly imprinted g-C3N4 (CN-NIP, 0.001 ± 0.001 min-1) under UVA irradiation (λ = 365 nm, 3.64× 10-6 Einstein/L*s). The molecular imprinting strategy changes the primary pathway responsible for the photocatalytic removal of ARGs. The photocatalytically generated hole (h+) is main specie responsible for ARG removal by CN-MIP due to improved contact between ARGs and specific binding sites on CN-MIP surface., whereas free radicals (i.e. ×OH and O2-) play the key role in removing ARGs by CN-NIP. In addition, CN-MIP can significantly inactivate ARG by extensive fragmentation of ARG, eliminating the risks of ARG repair by transformed bacteria. Overall, CN-MIP can efficiently remove ARGs from secondary effluent, which holds the promise for mitigating the dissemination of antibiotic resistance from sewage treatment systems.

Selective adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of extracellular ARGs by partially molecular imprinted graphitic carbon nitride

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.