我国科研团队发现低浓度抗生素污染可加剧温室气体排放

Core Insights - The research conducted by Anhui Normal University reveals the interference mechanism of low-concentration antibiotics on microbial nitrogen cycling, significantly promoting nitrous oxide emissions, providing new scientific evidence for understanding the climate effects of antibiotic pollution [1][3] Group 1: Research Findings - The study focuses on the physiological response mechanisms of denitrifying bacteria to tetracycline antibiotics at environmental concentrations, demonstrating that even at sub-lethal concentrations, antibiotics can significantly delay nitrate removal and increase nitrous oxide emissions [3] - The research team utilized enzyme activity measurements, cellular physiology, and transcriptomics analysis to show that antibiotics inhibit protein synthesis and disrupt glucose metabolism and electron transport, leading to redox imbalance and accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which in turn suppresses the activity of enzymes that reduce nitrous oxide [3] - This study is the first to elucidate the non-lethal interference pathway of sub-lethal concentrations of antibiotics on nitrogen cycling from the perspective of the "antibiotic-microbe-greenhouse gas" chain mechanism, providing new evidence for assessing the environmental and climate effects of antibiotic pollution [3] Group 2: Implications - The findings suggest that the long-term ecological effects of low-concentration antibiotics should be considered in environmental risk assessments and global nitrous oxide emission models [3]