Assessing the effect of composted cyclosporin A fermentation residue as organic fertilizer: Focus on soil fertility and antibiotic resistance

Cyclosporin A fermentation residue (CFR) is a type of organic waste generated during the production of cyclosporin A, which are abundant in nutrients including organic matter, phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. Inappropriate handling of CFR not only waste valuable bioresources, but may also lead to the cyclosporin A and associated resistance genes into the natural environment, posing a significant threat to ecological system and human health. Land application was an effective way to resource recovery of CFR after aerobic composting (CAC). This study investigated the impact of CAC on soil fertility and environmental safety. The results indicated that CAC could improve soil nutrient contents and enhance enzyme activities. CAC altered the diversity and community composition of soil bacteria, resulting in an increase in the abundance of relevant bacteria beneficial for organic matter decomposition and cyclosporin A degradation. The introduced cyclosporin A (71.69 µg/kg) completely degraded within 20 days due to soil biodegradation. The significantly increased abundance of intIl, mdr3, pgp, TSR and pmra in the soil cultivation early stage were restored to the soil background level within 90 days, indicating a reduced risk of antimicrobial resistance. The results demonstrated that reasonable land application of CAC could improve soil fertility without antimicrobial resistance risk, which is helpful for evaluating the resource utilization value and environmental risks of antibiotic fermentation residue after aerobic composting.