Abstract:In marine aquaculture, the accumulation of antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole (SMX) has contributed to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, posing a serious threat to ecological health. Biological treatment of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater is an essential approach to mitigate these environmental risks.Objective To isolate a salt-tolerant strain LS-1 with high SMX degradation efficiency from the sediment of an inshore aquaculture pond, examine the effects of environmental factors on the degradation capacity of this strain, optimize the SMX degradation conditions, elucidate the degradation pathway through product analysis, and evaluate the toxicity of the degradation products.Methods The isolated strain was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Single factor experiments and response surface methodology were employed to optimize the degradation conditions. GC-MS and the luminescent bacteria test for acute toxicity were adopted to analyze the degradation products and their toxicity.Results Strain LS-1 showed 99.79% sequence similarity with Alcaligenes aquatilis strain AS1. Tryptone was determined to be the optimal exogenous carbon source for both growth and SMX degradation. The strain exhibited robust growth across a temperature range of 20?35 ℃, salinities of 15‰?35‰, SMX concentrations from 10 to 100 mg/L, and pH 7.0?9.0. Response surface analysis revealed that SMX concentration, initial pH, and temperature significantly influenced the SMX degradation rate, in descending order of importance. Under optimal conditions (SMX concentration of 33 mg/L, pH 7.4, and 30 ℃), the strain achieved a maximum degradation rate of 60.17% within 48 h. MS results indicated that LS-1 degraded SMX via acetylation and hydroxylation pathways. The results of the luminescent bacteria test for acute toxicity demonstrated a progressive reduction in biological toxicity during the SMX degradation process.Conclusion The SMX-degrading strain LS-1 can effectively adapt to marine environmental conditions, reducing SMX-induced toxicity in water. This study highlights the potential of LS-1 for controlling antibiotic pollution in marine aquaculture wastewater.