Combined impact of TiO(2) nanoparticles and antibiotics on the activity and bacterial community of partial nitrification system

The effects of TiO(2) nanoparticles (nano-TiO(2)) together with antibiotics leaking into wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), especially the partial nitrification (PN) process remain unclear. To evaluate the combined impact and mechanisms of nano-TiO(2) and antibiotics on PN systems, batch experiments were carried out with six bench-scale sequencing batch reactors. Nano-TiO(2) at a low level had minimal effects on the PN system. In combination with tetracycline and erythromycin, the acute impact of antibiotics was enhanced. Both steps of nitrification were retarded due to the decrease of bacterial activity and abundance, while nitrite-oxidizing bacteria were more sensitive to the inhibition than ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Proteobacteria at the phylum level and Nitrosospira at the genus level remained predominant under single and combined impacts. The flow cytometry analysis showed that nano-TiO(2) enhanced the toxicity of antibiotics through increasing cell permeability. Our results can help clarify the risks of nano-TiO(2) combined with antibiotics to PN systems and explaining the behavior of nanoparticles in WWTPs.