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 Technologies in Wastewater Treatment Plants for the Removal of Antibiotics, Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes: a Review of the Current Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Camila Zapata Zúñiga ◽  
Miguel Angel Parra-Pérez ◽  
Johan Alexander Álvarez-Berrio ◽  
Nidia Isabel Molina-Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Treatment Processes

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.

scholarly journals Incidence of enterococci resistant to clinically relevant antibiotics in environmental waters and in reclaimed waters used for irrigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 911-924
Author(s):  
Silvia Monteiro ◽  
Ricardo Santos
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Wastewater Samples ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Treated wastewater discharged into the environment or reused in different activities can be a major vehicle for the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes. In this study, environmental and wastewater samples, collected at different stages of treatment, were studied to identify the possibility of a positive selection of antibiotic-resistant organisms in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Enterococci were isolated, characterized into the main human species, and subjected to the Kirby–Bauer test using seven antibiotics (five classes): ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, linezolid, tetracycline, and vancomycin. Furthermore, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), a major cause of nosocomial infection, was identified, and the genes vanA and vanB detected directly in the samples and in all confirmed VRE. Data showed that WWTPs were able to reduce the levels of antibiotic resistance, although 72% of the disinfected wastewaters still presented antibiotic-resistant enterococci. VRE were detected in 6% of the samples, including in reclaimed waters. UV disinfection was not effective at removing VRE and multiple antibiotic-resistant (MAR) enterococci, most commonly Enterococcus faecalis. The use of reclaimed water containing VRE and MAR enterococci in crop production, irrigation of urban gardens, and street cleaning increases immensely the potential risk to human health.

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 Antibiotic resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing faecal coliforms in wastewater treatment plant effluent

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cian Smyth ◽  
Aidan O’Flaherty ◽  
Fiona Walsh ◽  
Thi Thuy Do
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Control Point ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Faecal Coliforms ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Extended Spectrum

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.

scholarly journals Antibiotic resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing faecal coliforms in wastewater treatment plant effluent

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cian Smyth ◽  
Aidan O’Flaherty ◽  
Fiona Walsh ◽  
Thi Thuy Do
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Control Point ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Faecal Coliforms ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Extended Spectrum

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.

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

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daloha Rodríguez-Molina ◽  
Petra Mang ◽  
Heike Schmitt ◽  
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc ◽  
Katja Radon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Genes

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.

scholarly journals Characterization and Quantitation of a Novel β-Lactamase Gene Found in a Wastewater Treatment Facility and the Surrounding Coastal Ecosystem

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (23) ◽  
pp. 8226-8233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel I. Uyaguari ◽  
Erin B. Fichot ◽  
Geoffrey I. Scott ◽  
R. Sean Norman
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Gene ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Coastal Ecosystem ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTWastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are engineered structures that collect, concentrate, and treat human waste, ultimately releasing treated wastewater into local environments. While WWTPs efficiently remove most biosolids, it has been shown that many antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria can survive the treatment process. To determine how WWTPs influence the concentration and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant genes into the environment, a functional metagenomic approach was used to identify a novel antibiotic resistance gene within a WWTP, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to determine gene copy numbers within the facility and the local coastal ecosystem. From the WWTP metagenomic library, the fosmid insert contained in one highly resistant clone (MIC, ∼416 μg ml−1ampicillin) was sequenced and annotated, revealing 33 putative genes, including a 927-bp gene that is 42% identical to a functionally characterized β-lactamase fromStaphylococcus aureusPC1. Isolation and subcloning of this gene, referred to asblaM-1, conferred ampicillin resistance to itsEscherichia colihost. When normalized to volume, qPCR showed increased concentrations ofblaM-1during initial treatment stages but 2-fold-decreased concentrations during the final treatment stage. The concentration ng−1DNA increased throughout the WWTP process from influent to effluent, suggesting thatblaM-1makes up a significant proportion of the overall genetic material being released into the coastal ecosystem. Average discharge was estimated to be 3.9 × 1014copies of theblaM-1gene released daily into this coastal ecosystem. Furthermore, the gene was observed in all sampled coastal water and sediment samples surrounding the facility. Our results suggest that WWTPs may be a pathway for the dissemination of novel antibiotic resistance genes into the environment.

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

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daloha Rodríguez-Molina ◽  
Petra Mang ◽  
Heike Schmitt ◽  
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc ◽  
Katja Radon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Genes

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.

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