New insights on the combined removal of antibiotics and ARGs in urban wastewater through the use of two configurations of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands.

The occurrence and removal of 49 antibiotics and 11 selected antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were investigated in 2 vertical subsurface flow (VF) constructed wetlands (1.5 m2 each): an unsaturated (UVF) unit and a partially saturated (SVF) unit (0.35 m saturated out of 0.8 m) operating in parallel and treating urban wastewater. Thirteen antibiotics were detected in influent wastewater, 6 of which were present in all samples. The SVF showed statistical significance on the removal of 4 compounds (namely ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, pipemidic acid and azithromycin), suggesting that the wider range of pH and/or redox conditions of this configuration might promote the microbial degradation of some antibiotics. In contrast, the concentration of the latter (except pipemidic acid) and also clindamycin was higher in the effluent than in the influent of the UVF. Five ARGs were detected in influent wastewater, sul1 and sul2, blaTEM, ermB and qnrS. All of them were detected also in the biofilm of both wetlands, except qnrS. Average removal rates of ARGs showed no statistical differences between both wetland units, and ranged between 46 and 97% for sul1, 33 and 97% for sul2, 9 and 99% for ermB, 18 and 97% for qnrS and 11 and 98% for blaTEM.