Antibiotic resistance dissemination in wastewater treatment plants: a challenge for the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana María Leiva ◽  
Benjamín Piña ◽  
Gladys Vidal
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Reuse Of Treated Wastewater

scholarly journals Toxigenic Clostridium difficile PCR Ribotypes from Wastewater Treatment Plants in Southern Switzerland

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (18) ◽  
pp. 6643-6646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenza Romano ◽  
Vincenzo Pasquale ◽  
Karel Krovacek ◽  
Federica Mauri ◽  
Antonella Demarta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Clostridium Difficile ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Binary Toxin ◽  
Toxin B ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
Reuse Of Treated Wastewater

ABSTRACTThe occurrence ofClostridium difficilein nine wastewater treatment plants in the Ticino Canton (southern Switzerland) was investigated. The samples were collected from raw sewage influents and from treated effluents. Forty-seven out of 55 characterizedC. difficilestrains belonged to 13 different reference PCR ribotypes (009, 010, 014, 015, 039, 052, 053, 066, 070, 078, 101, 106, and 117), whereas 8 strains did not match any of those available in our libraries. The most frequently isolated ribotype (40%) was 078, isolated from six wastewater treatment plants, whereas ribotype 066, a toxigenic emerging ribotype isolated from patients admitted to hospitals in Europe and Switzerland, was isolated from the outgoing effluent of one plant. The majority of the isolates (85%) were toxigenic. Forty-nine percent of them produced toxin A, toxin B, and the binary toxin (toxigenic profile A+B+CDT+), whereas 51% showed the profile A+B+CDT−. Interestingly, eight ribotypes (010, 014, 015, 039, 066, 078, 101, and 106) were among the riboprofiles isolated from symptomatic patients admitted to the hospitals of the Ticino Canton in 2010. Despite the limitation of sampling, this study highlights that toxigenic ribotypes ofC. difficileinvolved in human infections may occur in both incoming and outgoing biological wastewater treatment plants. Such a finding raises concern about the possible contamination of water bodies that receive wastewater treatment plant effluents and about the safe reuse of treated wastewater.

scholarly journals Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated Sludge

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Osińska ◽  
Ewa Korzeniewska ◽  
Monika Harnisz ◽  
Sebastian Niestępski
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Gene ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Beta Lactams ◽  
Treatment Technology ◽  
Bacterial Populations

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important reservoir in the development of drug resistance phenomenon and they provide a potential route of antibiotic resistance gene (ARGs) dissemination in the environment. The aim of this study was to assess the role of WWTPs in the spread of ARGs. Untreated and treated wastewater samples that were collected from thirteen Polish WWTPs (applying four different modifications of activated sludge–based treatment technology) were analyzed. The quantitative occurrence of genes responsible for the resistance to beta-lactams and tetracyclines was determined using the real-time PCR method. Such genes in the DNA of both the total bacterial population and of the E. coli population were analyzed. Among the tested genes that are responsible for the resistance to beta-lactams and tetracyclines, blaOXA and blaTEM and tetA were dominant, respectively. This study found an insufficient reduction in the quantity of the genes that are responsible for antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment processes. The results emphasize the need to monitor the presence of genes determining antibiotic resistance in the wastewater that is discharged from treatment plants, as they can help to identify the hazard that treated wastewater poses to public health.

scholarly journals Occurrence of Fluoroquinolones and Sulfonamides Resistance Genes in Wastewater and Sludge at Different Stages of Wastewater Treatment: A Preliminary Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (17) ◽  
pp. 5816
Author(s):  
Damian Rolbiecki ◽  
Monika Harnisz ◽  
Ewa Korzeniewska ◽  
Łukasz Jałowiecki ◽  
Grażyna Płaza
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Standard Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Wastewater Samples

This study identified differences in the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) between wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) processing different proportions of hospital and municipal wastewater as well as various types of industrial wastewater. The influence of treated effluents discharged from WWTPs on the receiving water bodies (rivers) was examined. Genomic DNA was isolated from environmental samples (river water, wastewater and sewage sludge). The presence of genes encoding resistance to sulfonamides (sul1, sul2) and fluoroquinolones (qepA, aac(6′)-Ib-cr) was determined by standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The effect of the sampling season (summer – June, fall – November) was analyzed. Treated wastewater and sewage sludge were significant reservoirs of antibiotic resistance and contained all of the examined ARGs. All wastewater samples contained sul1 and aac(6′)-lb-cr genes, while the qepA and sul2 genes occurred less frequently. These observations suggest that the prevalence of ARGs is determined by the type of processed wastewater. The Warmia and Mazury WWTP was characterized by higher levels of the sul2 gene, which could be attributed to the fact that this WWTP processes agricultural sewage containing animal waste. However, hospital wastewater appears to be the main source of the sul1 gene. The results of this study indicate that WWTPs are significant sources of ARGs, contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance in rivers receiving processed wastewater.

scholarly journals Characterization of Environmental and Cultivable Antibiotic-Resistant Microbial Communities Associated with Wastewater Treatment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Sorgen ◽  
James Johnson ◽  
Kevin Lambirth ◽  
Sandra Clinton ◽  
Molly Redmond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Compositional Data ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a growing global concern, threatening human and environ-mental health, particularly among urban populations. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are thought to be “hotspots” for antibiotic resistance dissemination. The conditions of WWTPs, in conjunction with the persistence of commonly used antibiotics, may favor the selection and trans-fer of resistance genes among bacterial populations. WWTPs provide an important ecological niche to examine the spread of antibiotic resistance. We used heterotrophic plate count methods to identify phenotypically resistant cultivable portions of these bacterial communities and charac-terized the composition of the culturable subset of these populations. Resistant taxa were more abundant in raw sewage and wastewater before the biological aeration treatment stage. While some antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) were detectable downstream of treated wastewater re-lease, these organisms are not enriched relative to effluent-free upstream water, indicating effi-cient removal during treatment. Combined culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses revealed a stark difference in community composition between culturable fractions and the envi-ronmental source material, irrespective of culturing conditions. Higher proportions of the envi-ronmental populations were recovered than predicted by the widely accepted 1% culturability paradigm. These results represent baseline abundance and compositional data for ARB commu-nities for reference in future studies addressing the dissemination of antibiotic resistance associ-ated with urban wastewater treatment ecosystems.

scholarly journals Characterization of Environmental and Cultivable Antibiotic-Resistant Microbial Communities Associated with Wastewater Treatment

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 352
Author(s):  
Alicia Sorgen ◽  
James Johnson ◽  
Kevin Lambirth ◽  
Sandra M. Clinton ◽  
Molly Redmond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Compositional Data ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a growing global concern, threatening human and environmental health, particularly among urban populations. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are thought to be “hotspots” for antibiotic resistance dissemination. The conditions of WWTPs, in conjunction with the persistence of commonly used antibiotics, may favor the selection and transfer of resistance genes among bacterial populations. WWTPs provide an important ecological niche to examine the spread of antibiotic resistance. We used heterotrophic plate count methods to identify phenotypically resistant cultivable portions of these bacterial communities and characterized the composition of the culturable subset of these populations. Resistant taxa were more abundant in raw sewage and wastewater before the biological aeration treatment stage. While some antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) were detectable downstream of treated wastewater release, these organisms are not enriched relative to effluent-free upstream water, indicating efficient removal during treatment. Combined culture-dependent and -independent analyses revealed a stark difference in community composition between culturable fractions and the environmental source material, irrespective of culturing conditions. Higher proportions of the environmental populations were recovered than predicted by the widely accepted 1% culturability paradigm. These results represent baseline abundance and compositional data for ARB communities for reference in future studies addressing the dissemination of antibiotic resistance associated with urban wastewater treatment ecosystems.

scholarly journals An Ohio State Scenic River Shows Elevated Antibiotic Resistance Genes, Including Acinetobacter Tetracycline and Macrolide Resistance, Downstream of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
April Murphy ◽  
Daniel Barich ◽  
M. Siobhan Fennessy ◽  
Joan L. Slonczewski
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Flow Volume ◽  
Recreational Use ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem worldwide, with frequent transmission between pathogens and environmental organisms. Rural rivers can support high levels of recreational use by people unaware of inputs from treated wastewater, while wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can generate a small but significant portion of flow volume into a river surrounded by forest and agriculture.

scholarly journals A Review on Occurrence and Spread of Antibiotic Resistance in Wastewaters and in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Mechanisms and Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cansu Uluseker ◽  
Krista Michelle Kaster ◽  
Kristian Thorsen ◽  
Daniel Basiry ◽  
Sutha Shobana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Sludge Treatment ◽  
Treatment Methods

This paper reviews current knowledge on sources, spread and removal mechanisms of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in microbial communities of wastewaters, treatment plants and downstream recipients. Antibiotic is the most important tool to cure bacterial infections in humans and animals. The over- and misuse of antibiotics have played a major role in the development, spread, and prevalence of antibiotic resistance (AR) in the microbiomes of humans and animals, and microbial ecosystems worldwide. AR can be transferred and spread amongst bacteria via intra- and interspecies horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) receive wastewater containing an enormous variety of pollutants, including antibiotics, and chemicals from different sources. They contain large and diverse communities of microorganisms and provide a favorable environment for the spread and reproduction of AR. Existing WWTPs are not designed to remove micropollutants, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and ARGs, which therefore remain present in the effluent. Studies have shown that raw and treated wastewaters carry a higher amount of ARB in comparison to surface water, and such reports have led to further studies on more advanced treatment processes. This review summarizes what is known about AR removal efficiencies of different wastewater treatment methods, and it shows the variations among different methods. Results vary, but the trend is that conventional activated sludge treatment, with aerobic and/or anaerobic reactors alone or in series, followed by advanced post treatment methods like UV, ozonation, and oxidation removes considerably more ARGs and ARB than activated sludge treatment alone. In addition to AR levels in treated wastewater, it examines AR levels in biosolids, settled by-product from wastewater treatment, and discusses AR removal efficiency of different biosolids treatment procedures. Finally, it puts forward key-points and suggestions for dealing with and preventing further increase of AR in WWTPs and other aquatic environments, together with a discussion on the use of mathematical models to quantify and simulate the spread of ARGs in WWTPs. Mathematical models already play a role in the analysis and development of WWTPs, but they do not consider AR and challenges remain before models can be used to reliably study the dynamics and reduction of AR in such systems.

scholarly journals Ultrafiltration Process in Disinfection and Advanced Treatment of Tertiary Treated Wastewater

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Rafał Tytus Bray ◽  
Katarzyna Jankowska ◽  
Eliza Kulbat ◽  
Aneta Łuczkiewicz ◽  
Aleksandra Sokołowska
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Chemical Parameters ◽  
Virus Particles ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The One ◽  
Physical And Chemical

The paper presents the results of research on the use of ultrafiltration, using membranes of 200 and 400 kDa separation, for disinfection of municipal treated wastewater. The research was conducted on a fractional technical scale using real municipal treated wastewater from two large wastewater treatment plants treating most of the wastewater over the one-million polycentric Gdańsk agglomeration (1.2 million inhabitants). UF 200 kDa and UF 400 kDa processes enabled further improvement of the physical and chemical parameters of treated wastewater. Total phosphorus (to below 0.2 mg/L–UF 200 kDa, 0.13 mg/L–UF 400 kDa) and turbid substances (to below 0.2 mg/L, both membranes) were removed in the highest degree. COD was reduced efficiently (to below 25.6 mgO2/L–UF 200 kDa, 26.8 mgO2/L–UF 400 kDa), while total nitrogen was removed to a small extent (to 7.12 mg/L–UF 200 kDa and 5.7 mg/L–UF 400 kDa. Based on the reduction of indicator bacteria; fecal coliforms including E. coli (FC) and fecal enterococci (FE) it was found that the ultrafiltration is an effective method of disinfection. Not much indicator bacterial were observed in the permeate after processes (UF 200 kDa; FC—5 CFU/L; FE—1 CFU/L and UF 400 kDa; FC—70 CFU/L; FE—10 CFU/L. However, microscopic analysis of prokaryotic cells and virus particles showed their presence after the application of both membrane types; TCN 3.0 × 102 cells/mL–UF 200 kDa, 5.0 × 103 cells/mL–UF 400 kDa, VP 1.0 × 105/mL. The presence of potentially pathogenic, highly infectious virus particles means that ultrafiltration cannot be considered a sufficient disinfection method for treated wastewater diverted for reuse or discharged from high load wastewater treatment plants to recreational areas. For full microbiological safety it would be advisable to apply an additional disinfection method (e.g., ozonation).

Detection and molecular characterization of enteric adenovirus in treated wastewater in the Brazilian Federal District

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. S. C. Quintão ◽  
F. G. Silva ◽  
A. L. Pereira ◽  
W. N. Araújo ◽  
P. M. Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Conventional Pcr ◽  
Rainfall Index ◽  
Enteric Adenovirus ◽  
Enteric Adenoviruses

AbstractHuman enteric viruses, such as enteric adenoviruses (HAdV), are known to be involved with gastrointestinal disorders, especially acute gastroenteritis. Several studies have used HAdV as an indicator of water quality, since they are considered highly stable and widely distributed viruses in water matrices. The aim of this study was to detect and genotype HAdVs in water matrices impacted by discharges of treated effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Wastewater treatment plants from the sanitary system of the Brazilian Federal District were assessed in 2018 and 2019. Samples were collected upstream and downstream from discharge points for each WWTP. Viral concentration based on adsorption-elution and conventional PCR was used for molecular detection, and positive samples were sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. Pluviosity data for the period in which the samples were collected were obtained. Our results demonstrated the presence of HAdVs in 27.2% (61/224) of the samples. The positivity was significantly higher in downstream samples compared to upstream. Moreover, the HAdV positivity was higher in downstream samples collected from receiving water bodies impacted by secondary-level WWTPs in comparison with those impacted by tertiary-level WWTPs. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the presence of genotypes 40 and 41, with prevalence of HAdV genotype 41. Despite the predominance of HAdV-41, an increasing frequency of the HAdV-40 was associated with higher pluviosity. In conclusion, this study is the first documentation in the Brazilian Federal District dealing with the prevalence and diversity of HAdVs in several WWTP, along with their correlation with rainfall index.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document