Narrow host range phages infect essential bacteria for water purification reactions in groundwater-fed rapid sand filters

Palomo, Alejandro1,2,3; Dechesne, Arnaud4; Smets, Barth F.4; Zheng, Yan1,2,3

2023-10-15

10.1016/j.watres.2023.120655

WATER RESEARCH   Impact Factor & Quartile

0043-1354

1879-2448

Biofiltration is used worldwide to provide safe potable water due to its low energy demand and excellent treatment performance. For instance, in Denmark, over 95% of drinking water is supplied through groundwater -fed rapid sand filters (RSF). Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, have been shown to shape the taxonomic and functional composition of microbial communities across a range of natural and engineering systems. However, phages in the biofiltration systems are rarely studied, despite the central role microbes play in water purification. To probe this, metagenomic data from surface water, groundwater and mixed source water bio-filtration units (n = 26 from China, Europe and USA) for drinking water production were analysed to characterize prokaryotic viruses and to identify their potential microbial hosts. The source water type and geographical location are found to exert influence on the composition of the phageome in biofilters. Although the viral abundance (71,676 +/- 17,841 RPKM) in biofilters is only 14.4% and 17.0% lower than those of the nutrient-rich wastewater treatment plants and fresh surface waters, the richness (1,441 +/- 1,046) and diversity (Inverse Simpson: 91 +/- 61) in biofiltration units are significantly less by a factor of 2-5 and 3-4, respectively. In depth analysis of data from 24 groundwater-fed RSFs in Denmark revealed a core phageome shared by most RSFs, which was consistently linked to dominant microbial hosts involved in key biological reactions for water puri-fication. Finally, the high number of specific links detected between phages and bacterial species and the large proportion of lytic phages (77%) led to the conjecture that phages regulate bacterial populations through pre-dation, preventing the proliferation of dominant species and contributing to the established functional redun-dancy among the dominant microbial groups. In conclusion, bacteriophages are likely to play a significant role in water treatment within biofilters, particularly through interactions with key bacterial species.

Bacteriophages Phage-bacteria interaction Functional redundancy Drinking water treatment Biofiltration

SCI

English

NI Journal Papers

First ; Corresponding

National Natural Science Foundation of China[32250410300] ; DANIDA Fellowship centre[17-M08-GEU] ; Guandong Province Bureau of Education[2020KCXTD006] ; VILLUM FONDEN[13391]

Engineering ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Water Resources

Engineering, Environmental ; Environmental Sciences ; Water Resources

WOS:001086522700001

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

ENVIRONMENT/ECOLOGY

Web of Science

1.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Environm Sci & Engn, State Environm Protect Key Lab Integrated Surface, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Environm Sci & Engn, Guangdong Prov Key Lab Soil & Groundwater Pollut C, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
3.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Environm Sci & Engn, Shenzhen Key Lab Precis Measurement & Early Warnin, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
4.Tech Univ Denmark, Dept Environm & Resource Engn, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark

Palomo, Alejandro,Dechesne, Arnaud,Smets, Barth F.,et al. Narrow host range phages infect essential bacteria for water purification reactions in groundwater-fed rapid sand filters[J]. WATER RESEARCH,2023,245.

Palomo, Alejandro,Dechesne, Arnaud,Smets, Barth F.,&Zheng, Yan.(2023).Narrow host range phages infect essential bacteria for water purification reactions in groundwater-fed rapid sand filters.WATER RESEARCH,245.

Palomo, Alejandro,et al."Narrow host range phages infect essential bacteria for water purification reactions in groundwater-fed rapid sand filters".WATER RESEARCH 245(2023).