Zehao Zhang

Dr. Zehao Zhang


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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28 February 2024 in Science of The Total Environment
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
HWHaiting Wen
Haiting Wen
DCDongle Cheng
Dongle Cheng
YCYanlin Chen
Yanlin Chen
WYWenhui Yue
Wenhui Yue
ZZZehao Zhang
Zehao Zhang

5 October 2024 in Environmental Research
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
AZAndong Zhao
Andong Zhao
JLJun Li
Jun Li
PGPeng Gao
Peng Gao
PTPeng Tang
Peng Tang
TLTingting Liu
Tingting Liu
ZZzhaoming zheng
zhaoming zheng

6 April 2026 in Water
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
HZHe Zhao
He Zhao
JLJun Li
Jun Li
KJKunpeng Jiang
Kunpeng Jiang
ZZzhaoming zheng
zhaoming zheng
ZZZehao Zhang
Zehao Zhang
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are increasingly recognized as emerging contaminants in wastewater treatment systems; however, their responses to dissolved oxygen (DO)-limited conditions caused by insufficient aeration, particularly in the presence of microplastics, remain poorly understood. In this study, three sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were operated for 31 days under progressively oxygen-limited conditions with different concentrations of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics to investigate their combined effects on treatment performance, microbial communities, ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and PET degradation-related genes using metagenomic analysis. Prolonged oxygen limitation maintained relatively stable organic matter removal but progressively deteriorated ammonium removal and sludge settleability, while PET addition significantly aggravated these effects. PET exposure markedly increased the absolute abundance of ARGs without substantially altering resistome composition or dominant resistance mechanisms, suggesting an amplification rather than restructuring of the resistome. Correlation analyses indicated that ARGs enrichment was primarily host-associated and driven by the proliferation of a limited number of microbial taxa. Several potential ARG hosts were also strongly associated with PET degradation-related genes, indicating shared microbial populations linking PET-associated functions and antibiotic resistance. In addition, strong positive correlations between ARGs and MGEs suggested an important role of gene mobility in resistome dynamics under oxygen-limited conditions. Overall, these results demonstrate that oxygen limitation combined with PET microplastics promotes host-associated ARG enrichment in wastewater systems, highlighting potential environmental and public health risks and emphasizing the importance of maintaining operational stability to mitigate antibiotic resistance dissemination.

6 May 2026 in Environmental Research
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
HNHaolin Niu
Haolin Niu
TLTingting Liu
Tingting Liu
DLDongyue Li
Dongyue Li
JLJun Li
Jun Li
YZYuhan Zhu
Yuhan Zhu
ZZZehao Zhang
Zehao Zhang