scholarly journals Do wastewater treatment plants increase antibiotic resistant bacteria or genes in the environment? Protocol for a systematic review

Author(s):  
Daloha Rodríguez-Molina ◽  
Petra Mang ◽  
Heike Schmitt ◽  
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc ◽  
Katja Radon ◽  
...  

Background. Antibiotic resistance is a global public health threat. Water from human activities is collected at wastewater treatment plants where processes often do not sufficiently neutralize antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes, which are further shed into the local environment. This protocol outlines the steps to conduct a systematic review based on the Population, Exposure, Comparator and Outcome (PECO) framework, aiming at answering the question Are antimicrobial-resistant enterobacteriaceae and antimicrobial resistance genes present (O) in air and water samples (P) taken either near or downstream or downwind or down-gradient from wastewater treatment plants (E), as compared to air and water samples taken either further away or upstream or upwind or up-gradient from such wastewater treatment plant (C)? Presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and genes will be quantitatively measured by extracting their prevalence or concentration, depending on the reviewed study. Methods. We will search PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane database and Web of Science for original articles published from 01-Jan-2000 to 03-Sep-2018 with language restriction. Articles will undergo a relevance and a design screening process. Data from eligible articles will be extracted by two independent reviewers. Further, we will perform a risk of bias assessment using a decision matrix. We will synthesize and present results in narrative and tabular form and will perform a meta-analysis if heterogeneity of results allows it. Discussion. Antibiotic resistance in environmental samples around wastewater treatment plants may pose a risk of exposure to workers and nearby residents. Results from the systematic review outlined in this protocol will allow to estimate the extend of exposure, to inform policy making and help to design future studies.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daloha Rodríguez-Molina ◽  
Petra Mang ◽  
Heike Schmitt ◽  
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc ◽  
Katja Radon ◽  
...  

Background. Antibiotic resistance is a global public health threat. Water from human activities is collected at wastewater treatment plants where processes often do not sufficiently neutralize antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes, which are further shed into the local environment. This protocol outlines the steps to conduct a systematic review based on the Population, Exposure, Comparator and Outcome (PECO) framework, aiming at answering the question Are antimicrobial-resistant enterobacteriaceae and antimicrobial resistance genes present (O) in air and water samples (P) taken either near or downstream or downwind or down-gradient from wastewater treatment plants (E), as compared to air and water samples taken either further away or upstream or upwind or up-gradient from such wastewater treatment plant (C)? Presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and genes will be quantitatively measured by extracting their prevalence or concentration, depending on the reviewed study. Methods. We will search PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane database and Web of Science for original articles published from 01-Jan-2000 to 03-Sep-2018 with language restriction. Articles will undergo a relevance and a design screening process. Data from eligible articles will be extracted by two independent reviewers. Further, we will perform a risk of bias assessment using a decision matrix. We will synthesize and present results in narrative and tabular form and will perform a meta-analysis if heterogeneity of results allows it. Discussion. Antibiotic resistance in environmental samples around wastewater treatment plants may pose a risk of exposure to workers and nearby residents. Results from the systematic review outlined in this protocol will allow to estimate the extend of exposure, to inform policy making and help to design future studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daloha Rodríguez-Molina ◽  
Petra Mang ◽  
Heike Schmitt ◽  
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc ◽  
Katja Radon ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Antibiotic resistance is a global public health threat. Water from human activities is collected at wastewater treatment plants where processes often do not sufficiently neutralize antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes, which are further shed into the local environment. This protocol outlines the steps to conduct a systematic review based on the Population, Exposure, Comparator and Outcome (PECO) framework, aiming at answering the question “Are antimicrobial-resistant enterobacteriaceae and antimicrobial resistance genes present (O) in air and water samples (P) taken either near or downstream or downwind or down-gradient from wastewater treatment plants (E), as compared to air and water samples taken either further away or upstream or upwind or up-gradient from such wastewater treatment plant (C)?” Presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and genes will be quantitatively measured by extracting their prevalence or concentration, depending on the reviewed study. Methods We will search PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane database and Web of Science for original articles published from 1 Jan 2000 to 3 Sep 2018 with language restriction. Articles will undergo a relevance and a design screening process. Data from eligible articles will be extracted by two independent reviewers. Further, we will perform a risk of bias assessment using a decision matrix. We will synthesize and present results in narrative and tabular form and will perform a meta-analysis if heterogeneity of results allows it. Discussion Antibiotic resistance in environmental samples around wastewater treatment plants may pose a risk of exposure to workers and nearby residents. Results from the systematic review outlined in this protocol will allow to estimate the extend of exposure, to inform policy making and help to design future studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Camila Zapata Zúñiga ◽  
Miguel Angel Parra-Pérez ◽  
Johan Alexander Álvarez-Berrio ◽  
Nidia Isabel Molina-Gómez

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of technologies for removing antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their antibiotic resistance genes, and the countries where they have been developed. For this purpose, was conducted a systematic review to identify the tertiary treatments to remove the above-mentioned pollutants. The ScienceDirect and Scopus databases were used as sources of information, taking into account only experimental research from 2006 to 2019 and technologies with removal rates higher than 70% to the information analyses. From the analysis of 9 technologies evaluated, in a set of 47 investigations, photo-Fenton, and electrochemical treatments were found to be the most efficient in the removal of antibiotics; gamma radiation and photocatalysis with TiO2 and UV revealed better results in the removal of resistant microbial agents and their resistance genes, with efficiencies of 99.9%. As one of the largest producers and consumers of antibiotics, China appears to be the country with the most scientific research on the area. The importance of innovation in wastewater treatment processes to achieve better results in the remotion of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and their resistance genes is highlighted, given the effects on the aquatic ecosystems and public health.


10.2196/33365 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e33365
Author(s):  
Mahbub-Ul Alam ◽  
Sharika Ferdous ◽  
Ayse Ercumen ◽  
Audrie Lin ◽  
Abul Kamal ◽  
...  

Background The widespread and unrestricted use of antibiotics has led to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), and antibiotic residues in the environment. Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not designed for effective and adequate removal of ARB, ARGs, and antibiotic residues, and therefore, they play an important role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the natural environment. Objective We will conduct a systematic review to determine the most effective treatment strategies for the removal of ARB, ARGs, and antibiotic residues from the treated effluent disposed into the environment from WWTPs that receive municipal, hospital, and domestic discharge. Methods We will search the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, World Health Organization Global Index Medicus, and ProQuest Environmental Science Collection databases for full-text peer-reviewed journal articles published between January 2001 and December 2020. We will select only articles published in the English language. We will include studies that measured (1) the presence, concentration, and removal rate of ARB/ARGs going from WWTP influent to effluent, (2) the presence, concentration, and types of antibiotics in the effluent, and (3) the possible selection of ARB in the effluent after undergoing treatment processes in WWTPs. At least two independent reviewers will extract data and perform risk of bias assessment. An acceptable or narrative synthesis method will be followed to synthesize the data and present descriptive characteristics of the included studies in a tabular form. The study has been approved by the Ethics Review Board at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (protocol number: PR-20113). Results This protocol outlines our proposed methodology for conducting a systematic review. Our results will provide an update to the existing literature by searching additional databases. Conclusions Findings from our systematic review will inform the planning of proper treatment methods that can effectively reduce the levels of ARB, ARGs, and residual antibiotics in effluent, thus lowering the risk of the environmental spread of AMR and its further transmission to humans and animals. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/33365


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahbub-Ul Alam ◽  
Sharika Ferdous ◽  
Ayse Ercumen ◽  
Audrie Lin ◽  
Abul Kamal ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The widespread and unrestricted use of antibiotics has led to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), and antibiotic residues in the environment. Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not designed for effective and adequate removal of ARB, ARGs, and antibiotic residues, and therefore, they play an important role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the natural environment. OBJECTIVE We will conduct a systematic review to determine the most effective treatment strategies for the removal of ARB, ARGs, and antibiotic residues from the treated effluent disposed into the environment from WWTPs that receive municipal, hospital, and domestic discharge. METHODS We will search the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, World Health Organization Global Index Medicus, and ProQuest Environmental Science Collection databases for full-text peer-reviewed journal articles published between January 2001 and December 2020. We will select only articles published in the English language. We will include studies that measured (1) the presence, concentration, and removal rate of ARB/ARGs going from WWTP influent to effluent, (2) the presence, concentration, and types of antibiotics in the effluent, and (3) the possible selection of ARB in the effluent after undergoing treatment processes in WWTPs. At least two independent reviewers will extract data and perform risk of bias assessment. An acceptable or narrative synthesis method will be followed to synthesize the data and present descriptive characteristics of the included studies in a tabular form. The study has been approved by the Ethics Review Board at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (protocol number: PR-20113). RESULTS This protocol outlines our proposed methodology for conducting a systematic review. Our results will provide an update to the existing literature by searching additional databases. CONCLUSIONS Findings from our systematic review will inform the planning of proper treatment methods that can effectively reduce the levels of ARB, ARGs, and residual antibiotics in effluent, thus lowering the risk of the environmental spread of AMR and its further transmission to humans and animals. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/33365


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-90
Author(s):  
Hadis Tavafi

Nowadays, in the poultry industry, antibiotics are used to treat, prevent, and enhance poultry growth and production efficiency. Their irregular consumption has resulted in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in this industry. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in contaminated waters can be transmitted into soil. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antibiotic resistance pattern of bacteria isolated from the water of chicken slaughterhouses around Hamadan (Iran) province. In this study, 20 water samples were collected from four slaughterhouses in Hamadan province (during spring and summer 2019). Initial isolation and identification of the bacteria were performed by pour plate culture and biochemical tests. The disc diffusion method was applied to investigate the resistance pattern. This study presents 109 screened isolates. Of these, 57.8% E.coli, 35.7% Salmonella spp., and 6.42% Klebsiella spp. were detected. Antibiograms of isolates showed that in E.coli, 23.09% were resistant to four types of the antibiotic tetracycline, amoxicillin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol, 76.19% had only one type of antibiotic. Antibiotics for Salmonella spp. showed that 35.9% were resistant to tetracycline, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol, 64.10% to only one type of antibiotic. Also, in Klebsiella spp., 85.71% were sensitive to antibiotics, and only 14.28% were resistant to tetracycline. Conclusion: The results showed that the rate of multiple antibiotic resistance is relatively high, and contaminated water has a high potential for soil contamination. Therefore, resistant bacteria become more stable in the environment, and the health of the environment will be endangered. Therefore, it is necessary to study the antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacteria to study and maintain the health of the environment.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cian Smyth ◽  
Aidan O’Flaherty ◽  
Fiona Walsh ◽  
Thi Thuy Do

AbstractWastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) provide optimal conditions for the maintenance and spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this work we describe the occurrence of antibiotic resistant faecal coliforms and their mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in the effluent of two urban WWTPs in Ireland. Effluent samples were collected from two WWTPs in Spring and Autumn of 2015 and 2016. The bacterial susceptibility patterns to 13 antibiotics were determined. The phenotypic tests were carried out to identify AmpC or extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producers. The presence of ESBL genes were detected by PCR. Plasmids carrying ESBL genes were transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α recipient and underwent plasmid replicon typing to identify incompatibility groups. More than 90% of isolated faecal coliforms were resistant to amoxicillin and ampicillin, followed by tetracycline (up to 39.82%), ciprofloxacin (up to 31.42%) and trimethoprim (up to 37.61%). Faecal coliforms resistant to colistin and imipenem were detected in all effluent samples. Up to 53.98% of isolated faecal coliforms expressed a multi-drug resistance (MRD) phenotype. AmpC production was confirmed in 5.22% of isolates. The ESBL genes were confirmed for 11.84% of isolates (9.2% of isolates carried blaTEM, 1.4% blaSHV-12, 0.2% blaCTX-M-1 and 1% blaCTX-M-15). Plasmids extracted from 52 ESBL isolates were successfully transformed into recipient E. coli. The detected plasmid incompatibility groups included the IncF group, IncI1, IncHI1/2 and IncA/C. These results provide evidence that treated wastewater is polluted with ARB and MDR faecal coliforms and are sources of ESBL-producing, carbapenem and colistin resistant Enterobacteriaceae.ImportanceAntibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) are an emerging environmental concern with a potential impact on human health. The results provide the evidence that treated wastewater is polluted with antibiotic resistant bacteria containing mobile resistance mechanisms of importance to clinical treatment of pathogens and multi-drug resistant (MDR) faecal coliforms. They are sources of relatively high proportions of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, and include carbapenem and colistin resistant Enterobacteriaceae. The significance of this study is the identification of the role of WWTPs as a potential control point to reduce or stop the movement of ESBL, MDR and colistin resistant bacteria into the environment from further upstream sources, such as human or animal waste.


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