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Rizzo L, Gernjak W, Krzeminski P, Malato S, McArdell CS, Perez JAS, Schaar H, Fatta-Kassinos D. Best available technologies and treatment trains to address current challenges in urban wastewater reuse for irrigation of crops in EU countries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 710:136312. [PMID: 32050367 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Conventional urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) are poorly effective in the removal of most contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARB&ARGs). These contaminants result in some concern for the environment and human health, in particular if UWTPs effluents are reused for crop irrigation. Recently, stakeholders' interest further increased in Europe, because the European Commission is currently developing a regulation on water reuse. Likely, conventional UWTPs will require additional advanced treatment steps to meet water quality limits yet to be officially established for wastewater reuse. Even though it seems that CECs will not be included in the proposed regulation, the aim of this paper is to provide a technical contribution to this discussion as well as to support stakeholders by recommending possible advanced treatment options, in particular with regard to the removal of CECs and ARB&ARGs. Taking into account the current knowledge and the precautionary principle, any new or revised water-related Directive should address such contaminants. Hence, this review paper gathers the efforts of a group of international experts, members of the NEREUS COST Action ES1403, who for three years have been constructively discussing the efficiency of the best available technologies (BATs) for urban wastewater treatment to abate CECs and ARB&ARGs. In particular, ozonation, activated carbon adsorption, chemical disinfectants, UV radiation, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and membrane filtration are discussed with regard to their capability to effectively remove CECs and ARB&ARGs, as well as their advantages and drawbacks. Moreover, a comparison among the above-mentioned processes is performed for CECs relevant for crop uptake. Finally, possible treatment trains including the above-discussed BATs are discussed, issuing end-use specific recommendations which will be useful to UWTPs managers to select the most suitable options to be implemented at their own facilities to successfully address wastewater reuse challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Rizzo
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy.
| | - Wolfgang Gernjak
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pawel Krzeminski
- Section of Systems Engineering and Technology, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Sixto Malato
- Plataforma Solar de Almería (CIEMAT), Carretera de Senés, km. 4, Tabernas, Almería 04200, Spain; Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, Universitiy of Almeria, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, ES04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Christa S McArdell
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Jose Antonio Sanchez Perez
- Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, Universitiy of Almeria, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, ES04120 Almería, Spain; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almeria, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, ES04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Heidemarie Schaar
- Technische Universität Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 13/2261, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Despo Fatta-Kassinos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Nireas, International Water Research Center, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678 Nicosia, Cyprus.
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Krzeminski P, Feys E, Anglès d'Auriac M, Wennberg AC, Umar M, Schwermer CU, Uhl W. Combined membrane filtration and 265 nm UV irradiation for effective removal of cell free antibiotic resistance genes from feed water and concentrate. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.117676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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53
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Sun L, Shi P, He N, Zhang Q, Duan X. Antibiotic resistance genes removal and membrane fouling in secondary effluents by combined processes of PAC/BPAC-UF. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2019; 17:910-920. [PMID: 31850898 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2019.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), as emerging environmental contaminants, are becoming a threat to human health. In this study, the combined processes of powdered activated carbon (PAC)/biological PAC (BPAC)-ultrafiltration (UF) were adopted to reduce the levels of ARGs in secondary effluents from a wastewater treatment plant. The removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and the change of normalized flux in the UF process were investigated. In addition, the structural characteristics of the microorganisms of the BPAC were analyzed. The results showed that the appropriate dosage of PAC and BPAC was 40 mg/L. At this dosage, PAC/BPAC-UF combined processes could effectively remove the ARGs in secondary effluents by 1.26-2.69-log and 1.55-2.97-log, respectively; and the removal rates of DOC would be 60.7% and 54.1%, respectively. Relative to the direct UF, the membrane fluxes of the two combined processes were increased by 15.6% and 25.1%, respectively. Significant removal correlations were found between ARGs, intI1, DOC and 16SrDNA. These results revealed that the PAC/BPAC-UF combined process might play a promising role in ARG reduction in secondary effluents from wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China E-mail:
| | - Pengfei Shi
- School Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Ning He
- Sunac China Holdings Limited, Beijing 100032, China
| | - Qiwei Zhang
- Beijing General Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100082, China
| | - Xi Duan
- Beijing Waterworks Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 100000, China
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54
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Zhang HC, Zhang MQ, Yuan L, Zhang X, Sheng GP. Synergistic Effect of Permanganate and in Situ Synthesized Hydrated Manganese Oxide for Removing Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:13374-13381. [PMID: 31663333 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
An increasing amount of attention has been given to antimicrobial resistance in the environment because of its substantial threat to human health. The effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants has been regarded as one of the important sources for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, conventional disinfection techniques fail to effectively remove ARGs from effluents. In this work, in situ synthesized hydrated manganese oxide (HMO) coupled with permanganate was applied for the first time in ARG removal from the effluent of wastewater treatment plants. The results show that five ARGs (sulI, sulII, tetQ, tetO, and tetW) as well as the intI1 and 16S rRNA genes had removal efficiencies of 2.46-4.23 logs, which were significantly higher than those obtained by using these reagents individually. This implied that there was a synergistic effect between permanganate and HMO toward the removal of ARGs. Moreover, the contributions of HMO coagulation and permanganate oxidation to ARG removal were semiquantitatively studied, which demonstrated that destruction of the microbial cells by oxidation and removal of the extracellular ARGs released by coagulation were the two main processes in this system. The results of this study provide an alternative method for ARG removal from the effluent of wastewater treatment plants with high efficiencies to control the spreading of ARGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Chao Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026 , China
| | - Ming-Qi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026 , China
| | - Li Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026 , China
| | - Xin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026 , China
| | - Guo-Ping Sheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026 , China
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55
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Deng S, Yan X, Zhu Q, Liao C. The utilization of reclaimed water: Possible risks arising from waterborne contaminants. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 254:113020. [PMID: 31421574 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Increasing interest of seeking substitutable water resources accrues from shortage of freshwater. One of the options considered is reclaimed water (also designated as recycled water) that has been widely used in daily life. Although reclaimed water can serve as a feasible reliever of water pressure, attention about its technologies and potential risks is growing in the meantime. Most established wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) predate many new contaminants, which means treatment processes cannot ensure to dislodge certain contaminants completely from origin water. Furthermore, a wide range of factors, such as seasons and influent variations, affect occurrence and concentration of reclaimed water-borne contaminants, making research about quality of reclaimed water especially significant. Many reclaimed water-borne contaminants, including biological and chemical contaminants, are toxic to human health, and complex wastewater matrix may aggravate water quality of concern. The widespread use of reclaimed water continues to be a concern on agriculture, ecological environment and human health. This study aims to: 1) provide a critical review about occurrence and profiles of diverse contaminants in the treated reclaimed water, 2) discuss the possibility to avoid the secondary pollution in reuse of reclaimed water, and 3) reveal the prospective consequences of using reclaimed water on agriculture, ecological environment and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenxi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xueting Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qingqing Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chunyang Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430056, China.
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56
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Slipko K, Reif D, Wögerbauer M, Hufnagl P, Krampe J, Kreuzinger N. Removal of extracellular free DNA and antibiotic resistance genes from water and wastewater by membranes ranging from microfiltration to reverse osmosis. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 164:114916. [PMID: 31394466 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.114916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Free DNA in the effluent from wastewater treatment plants has recently been observed to contain antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which may contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance via horizontal gene transfer in the receiving environment. Technical membrane systems applied in wastewater and drinking water treatment are situated at central nodes between the environmental and human related aspects of the "One Health" approach and are considered as effective barriers for antibiotic resistant bacteria. However, they are not evaluated for their permeability for ARGs encoded in free DNA, which may result, for example, from the release of free DNA after bacterial die-off during particular treatment processes. This study examined the potential and principle mechanisms for the removal of free DNA containing ARGs by technical membrane filtration. Ten different membranes, varied by the charge (neutral and negative) and the molecular weight cut off (in a range from microfiltration to reverse osmosis), were tested for the removal of free DNA (pure supercoiled and linearized plasmids encoding for ARGs and free linear chromosomal DNA with a broader fragment size spectrum) in different water matrices (distilled water and wastewater treatment plant effluent). Our results showed that membranes with a molecular weight cut off smaller than 5000 Da (ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis) could retain ≥99.80% of free DNA, both pure plasmid and linear fragments of different sizes, whereas microfiltration commonly applied in wastewater treatment showed no retention. Size exclusion was identified as the main retention mechanism. Additionally, surface charging of the membrane and adsorption of free DNA on the membrane surface played a key role in prevention of free DNA permeation. Currently, majority of the applied membranes is negatively charged to prevent adsorption of natural organic matter. In our study, negatively charged membranes showed lower retention of free DNA compared to neutral ones due to repulsion of free DNA molecules, reduced adsorption and decreased blockage of the membrane surface. Therefore, the applied membrane may not be as an effective barrier for ARGs encoded in free DNA, as it would be predicted based only on the molecular weight cut off. Thus, careful considerations of membrane's specifications (molecular weight cut-off and charge) are required during design of a filtration system for retention of free DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Slipko
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Daniela Reif
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Wögerbauer
- Division for Data, Statistics and Risk Assessment, AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Spargelfeldstraße 191, 1220, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Hufnagl
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene - Center for Anthropogenic Infections, AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Währingerstrasse 25a, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jörg Krampe
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Kreuzinger
- Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/226, 1040, Vienna, Austria
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57
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Pei M, Zhang B, He Y, Su J, Gin K, Lev O, Shen G, Hu S. State of the art of tertiary treatment technologies for controlling antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment plants. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 131:105026. [PMID: 31351383 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been considered as emerging contaminants of concern nowadays. There are no special technologies designed to directly remove ARGs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In order to reduce the risk of ARGs, it is vital to understand the efficiency of advanced treatment technologies in removing antibiotic resistance genes in WWTPs. This review highlights the application and efficiency of tertiary treatment technologies on the elimination of ARGs, s, based on an understanding of their occurrence and fate in WWTPs. These technologies include chemical-based processes such as chlorination, ozonation, ultraviolet, and advanced oxidation technology, as well as physical separation processes, biological processes such as constructed wetland and membrane bioreactor, and soil aquifer treatment. The merits, limitations and ameliorative measures of these processes are discussed, with the view to optimizing future treatment strategies and identifying new research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Pei
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Yiliang He
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jianqiang Su
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Karina Gin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Ovadia Lev
- The Casali Center and the Institute of Chemistry and The Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Genxiang Shen
- Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Shuangqing Hu
- Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shanghai 200233, China
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58
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Hiller CX, Hübner U, Fajnorova S, Schwartz T, Drewes JE. Antibiotic microbial resistance (AMR) removal efficiencies by conventional and advanced wastewater treatment processes: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 685:596-608. [PMID: 31195321 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the spread of antibiotic resistance as one of the major risks to global public health. An important transfer route into the aquatic environment is the urban water cycle. In this paper the occurrence and transport of antibiotic microbial resistance in the urban water cycle are critically reviewed. The presence of antibiotic resistance in low impacted surface water is being discussed to determine background antibiotic resistance levels, which might serve as a reference for treatment targets in the absence of health-based threshold levels. Different biological, physical and disinfection/oxidation processes employed in wastewater treatment and their efficacy regarding their removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance geness (ARGs) were evaluated. A more efficient removal of antibiotic microbial resistance abundances from wastewater effluents can be achieved by advanced treatment processes, including membrane filtration, ozonation, UV-irradiation or chlorination, to levels typically observed in urban surface water or low impacted surface water.
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Affiliation(s)
- C X Hiller
- Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - U Hübner
- Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - S Fajnorova
- Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany; Department of Water Technology and Environmental Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - T Schwartz
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Campus North, Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Microbiology at Natural and Technical Interfaces Department, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - J E Drewes
- Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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59
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Zhou S, Zhu Y, Yan Y, Wang W, Wang Y. Deciphering extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) in activated sludge by metagenome. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 161:610-620. [PMID: 31254887 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.06.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) including extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs), are recognized as emerging environmental contaminants. Despite extensive efforts to profile ARGs in their "hotspots" wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the contribution of eARGs to antibiotic resistance spread remains unclear. Here, we applied metagenomic sequencing to investigate the distribution, mobility and microbial hosts of eARGs in activated sludge from five WWTPs. The total relative abundance eARGs ranged from 9.5 × 10-6 to 1.3 × 10-4, mainly encompassing elfamycin, dual drug, and aminoglycoside resistance genes. Multiple eARGs (e.g., EF-Tu, ropB, and rpsL mutants) were shared among the five WWTPs, and some clustered in the same genetic element (e.g., EF-Tu-rpsJ). eARGs were found to frequently co-localize with the eMGEs (e.g., sul1-3'CS-TnAs3, sul2-intI1-ISVsa3, and tetX-p63039), which may facilitate the mobilization of eARGs. Most eARGs likely originated from the genera Mycobacterium (6.7%), Nitrosomonas (5.3%), Steroidobacter (5.3%), Nitrospira (5.2%) and Pseudomonas (5.1%). No significant difference in the diversity, abundance, and mobility was observed between eARGs and iARGs. The host composition of eARGs and iARGs from municipal WWTPs are consistently dominated by Nitrosomonas, Steroidobacter, Nitrospira and Pseudomonas, while some differentially enriched genera (especially Nitrospira) in the hosts of iARGs compared with those of eARGs from the swine WWTP were identified. Our findings corroborate the mobile eARGs reservoir in WWTPs, thereby laying foundation for mitigating widespread antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yijing Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Weigang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Yayi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
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60
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Dissemination prevention of antibiotic resistant and facultative pathogenic bacteria by ultrafiltration and ozone treatment at an urban wastewater treatment plant. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12843. [PMID: 31492933 PMCID: PMC6731226 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49263-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional wastewater treatment is not sufficient for the removal of hygienically relevant bacteria and achieves only limited reductions. This study focuses on the reduction efficiencies of two semi-industrial ultrafiltration units operating at a large scale municipal wastewater treatment plant. In total, 7 clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes, together with 3 taxonomic gene markers targeting specific facultative pathogenic bacteria were analysed via qPCR analyses before and after advanced treatment. In parallel with membrane technologies, an ozone treatment (1 g ozone/g DOC) was performed for comparison of the different reduction efficiencies. Both ultrafiltration units showed increased reduction efficiencies for facultative pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes of up to 6 log units, resulting mostly in a strong reduction of the bacterial targets. In comparison, the ozone treatment showed some reduction efficiency, but was less effective compared with ultrafiltration due to low ozone dosages frequently used for micro-pollutant removal at municipal wastewater treatment plants. Additionally, metagenome analyses demonstrated the accumulation of facultative pathogenic bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factor genes, and metabolic gene targets in the back flush retentate of the membranes, which opens further questions about retentate fluid material handling at urban wastewater treatment plants.
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61
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Li ZH, Yuan L, Gao SX, Wang L, Sheng GP. Mitigated membrane fouling and enhanced removal of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes from wastewater effluent via an integrated pre-coagulation and microfiltration process. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 159:145-152. [PMID: 31085389 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been regarded as an emerging pollutant in municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents due to their potential risk to human health and ecological safety when reused for landscape and irrigation. Conventional wastewater treatment processes generally fail to effectively reduce ARGs, especially extracellular ARGs (eARGs), which are persistent in the environment and play an important role in horizontal gene transfer via transformation. Herein, an integrated process of pre-coagulation and microfiltration was developed for removal of ARGs, especially eARGs, from wastewater effluent. Results show that the integrated process could effectively reduce the absolute abundances of total ARGs (tARGs) (>2.9 logs) and eARGs (>5.2 logs) from the effluent. The excellent performance could be mainly attributed to the capture of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and eARGs by pre-coagulation and co-rejection during subsequent microfiltration. Moreover, the integrated process exhibited a good performance on removing common pollutants (e.g., dissolved organic carbon and phosphate) from the effluent to improve water quality. Besides, the integrated process also greatly reduced membrane fouling compared with microfiltration. These findings suggest that the integrated process of pre-coagulation and microfiltration is a promising advanced wastewater treatment technology for ARGs (especially eARGs) removal from WWTP effluents to ensure water reuse security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Hao Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Li Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Shu-Xian Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Liang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Guo-Ping Sheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
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62
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Sun L, Gao C, He N, Yang B, Duan X, Chen T. The removal of antibiotic resistance genes in secondary effluent by the combined process of PAC-UF. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2019; 54:1075-1082. [PMID: 31221017 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2019.1631090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), as emerging environmental contaminants, have become a threat to human health. Here, we use the combined process of powdered activated carbon (PAC) and ultrafiltration (UF) to investigate the removal of ARGs, the class I integron (intI1), 16S rDNA and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in wastewater effluent. Additionally, the removal mechanisms of ARGs by PAC-UF were investigated. Our results show that a higher PAC concentration might increase DOC and ARGs removal. The maximum removal of DOC and ARGs was 63.2% and 1.35-log-3.35-log, respectively. At the same time, the ARGs are positively correlated with DOC, intI1 and 16S rDNA, indicating that reducing their concentration would contribute to the reduction of ARGs. We also found that the optimal PAC dose could effectively increase membrane flux, reduce membrane fouling resistance and alleviate membrane fouling. This study demonstrates that the PAC-UF process is a potential deep water purification process and control technology for reducing ARGs risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System & Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture , Beijing , China
| | - Cheng Gao
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture , Beijing , China
| | - Ning He
- Sunac China Holdings Limited , Beijing , China
| | - Bingbing Yang
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture , Beijing , China
| | - Xi Duan
- Beijing Waterworks Group Co., Ltd. , Beijing , China
| | - Tao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System & Water Environment, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture , Beijing , China
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Bürgmann H, Frigon D, H Gaze W, M Manaia C, Pruden A, Singer AC, F Smets B, Zhang T. Water and sanitation: an essential battlefront in the war on antimicrobial resistance. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:5033400. [PMID: 29878227 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Water and sanitation represent a key battlefront in combatting the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Basic water sanitation infrastructure is an essential first step towards protecting public health, thereby limiting the spread of pathogens and the need for antibiotics. AMR presents unique human health risks, meriting new risk assessment frameworks specifically adapted to water and sanitation-borne AMR. There are numerous exposure routes to AMR originating from human waste, each of which must be quantified for its relative risk to human health. Wastewater treatment plants play a vital role in centralized collection and treatment of human sewage, but there are numerous unresolved issues in terms of the microbial ecological processes occurring within them and the extent to which they attenuate or amplify AMR. Research is needed to advance understanding of the fate of resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in various waste management systems, depending on the local constraints and intended reuse applications. World Health Organization and national AMR action plans would benefit from a more holistic 'One Water' understanding. In this article we provide a framework for research, policy, practice and public engagement aimed at limiting the spread of AMR from water and sanitation in low-, medium- and high-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Bürgmann
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland
| | - Dominic Frigon
- Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 492, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0C3, Canada
| | - William H Gaze
- European Center for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, TR1 3HD, UK
| | - Célia M Manaia
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBFQ- Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Arquiteto Robão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal
| | - Amy Pruden
- Via Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 418 Durham Hall, 1145 Perry Street, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA
| | - Andrew C Singer
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Barth F Smets
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej, DK 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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64
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Zarei-Baygi A, Harb M, Wang P, Stadler LB, Smith AL. Evaluating Antibiotic Resistance Gene Correlations with Antibiotic Exposure Conditions in Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:3599-3609. [PMID: 30810034 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) are an emerging technology with potential to improve energy efficiency and effluent reuse in mainstream wastewater treatment. However, their contribution to the proliferation of contaminants of emerging concern, such as antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), remains largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of select influent antibiotics at varying concentrations on the presence and abundance of ARGs in an AnMBR system and its effluent. Quantification of targeted ARGs revealed distinct profiles in biomass and effluent, with genes conferring resistance to different antibiotic classes dominating in biomass (macrolides) and effluent (sulfonamides). Effluent sul1 gene abundance was strongly correlated with abundance of intl1, signifying the potential importance of mobile genetic elements in ARG release from AnMBR systems. The addition of specific antibiotics also affected normalized abundances of their related ARGs, exemplifying the potential impact of selective pressures at both low (10 μg/L) and high (250 μg/L) influent antibiotic concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Zarei-Baygi
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Southern California , 3620 South Vermont Avenue , Los Angeles , California 90089 , United States
| | - Moustapha Harb
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Southern California , 3620 South Vermont Avenue , Los Angeles , California 90089 , United States
| | - Phillip Wang
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Southern California , 3620 South Vermont Avenue , Los Angeles , California 90089 , United States
| | - Lauren B Stadler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Rice University , 6100 Main Street , Houston , Texas 77005 , United States
| | - Adam L Smith
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Southern California , 3620 South Vermont Avenue , Los Angeles , California 90089 , United States
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65
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Li R, Jay JA, Stenstrom MK. Fate of antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in water resource recovery facilities. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2019; 91:5-20. [PMID: 30682226 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Many important diseases are showing resistance to commonly used antibiotics, and the resistance is potentially caused by widespread use of antibiotics for maintaining human health and improving food production. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) are associated with this increase, and their fate in water resource recovery facilities is an important, emerging area of research. This literature review summarizes current findings of worldwide research on the fate of ARB and ARGs in various types of treatment plants. Twenty-five published studies were reviewed which contained 215 observations in activated sludge, membrane bioreactors, anaerobic digestion, constructed wetlands, coagulation-filtration, and three types of disinfection. We found 70% decreased observations, 18% increased observations, and 12% unchanged observations of all observations in all treatment processes. Resistance genes to tetracycline were most often observed, but more studies are needed in other antibiotic resistance genes. The causes for increased abundance of ARGs and ARB are not well understood, and further studies are warranted. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Antibiotic resistance is increasing with concern that treatment plants may acclimate bacteria to antibiotics. A literature survey found 215 resistance observations with 70% decreased, 18% increased, 12% unchanged after treatment. The type of treatment process is important with activated sludge showing the greatest reductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renjie Li
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jennifer A Jay
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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66
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Tong J, Lu X, Zhang J, Angelidaki I, Wei Y. Factors influencing the fate of antibiotic resistance genes during thermochemical pretreatment and anaerobic digestion of pharmaceutical waste sludge. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 243:1403-1413. [PMID: 30278414 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in waste sludge, especially for the pharmaceutical waste sludge, presents great potential risks to human health. Although ARGs and factors affecting their spreading are of major importance for human health, the factors influencing the fate of ARGs during sludge treatment, especially for pharmaceutical sludge treatment are not yet well understood. In order to be able to minimize ARGs spreading, it is important to find what is influencing their spreading. Therefore, certain factors, such as the sludge characteristics, bacterial diversity and community composition, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) during the advanced AD of pharmaceutical sludge with different pretreatments were studied, and their affinity with ARGs was elucidated by Spearman correlation analysis. Furthermore, multiple linear regression was introduced to evaluate the importance of the various factors. Results showed that 59.7%-88.3% of the variations in individual ARGs and total ARGs can be explained by the corresponding factors. Bacterial diversity rather than specific bacterial community composition affected the fate of ARGs, whereas alkalinity was the most important factor on ARGs among all sludge characteristics investigated in this study. Besides, 66.4% of variation of total ARGs was driven by the changes of MGEs. Multiple linear regression models also reveal the collective effect of these factors on ARGs, and the contributions of each factor impact on ARGs. This study provides more comprehension about the factors impact on the fate of ARGs during pharmaceutical sludge treatment, and offers an approach to evaluate the importance of each factor, which method could be introduced for evaluation of factors influencing ARGs during other types of sludge or wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Tong
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; Department of Water Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Xueting Lu
- Department of Water Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Junya Zhang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; Department of Water Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Yuansong Wei
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; Department of Water Pollution Control, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
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67
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Tiwari A, Shukla A, Tiwari D, Lee SM. Nanocomposite thin films Ag 0(NP)/TiO 2 in the efficient removal of micro-pollutants from aqueous solutions: A case study of tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole removal. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 220:96-108. [PMID: 29775822 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this communication is to synthesize novel Nanocomposite thin film materials (Ag0(NP)/TiO2) using the template process. Surface morphology of materials was obtained by the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analyses. The presence of doped Ag-nanoparticles was confirmed by the TEM images along with the SEM-EDX analyses. The Atomic Force Microscopic images were demonstrated the surface roughness and thickness of Nanocomposite thin films. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that TiO2 was predominantly present to its anatase mineral phase. The Fourier Transform Infra-red analysis conducted to obtain the functional groups present with the solid. The specific surface area and pore sizes of Nanocomposites were obtained by the BET (Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller) analysis. Further, the Nanocomposite thin film photocatalysts were successfully employed in the degradation of emerging micro-pollutants viz., the antibiotics tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole from aqueous solutions using less harmful UV-A light (λmax 330 nm). The effect of solution pH (pH 4.0-8.0) and pollutant concentrations (1.0 mg/L-20.0 mg/L (for tetracycline) and (0.5 mg/L-15.0 mg/L (for sulfamethoxazole)) was extensively studied in the photocatalytic removal of these antibiotics. A significant decrease in percentage of non-purgeable organic carbon removal indicated that the micro-pollutants was substantially mineralized by the photocatalytic treatment. The stability of thin film was assessed by the repeated use of Nanocomposite thin films and results were indicated that the degradation of tetracycline or sulfamethoxazole was almost unaffected at least for six cycles of photocatalytic operations. The presence of several cations and anions in the degradation of these antibiotics was studied. Additionally, the presence of 2-propanol and EDTA inhibited significantly the degradation of these micro-pollutants i.e., the percentage of degradation was decreased by 31.8 and 24.2% (for tetracycline) and 42.8 and 39.9% (for sulfamethoxazole), respectively. This indicated that the degradation of tetracycline or sulfamethoxazole was predominantly proceeded by the OH radicals; generated at the valance and conduction band of semiconductor. Similarly, the presence of sodium azide inhibited the percentage removal of these antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alka Tiwari
- Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Aizawl, 796001, India
| | - Alok Shukla
- Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Aizawl, 796001, India
| | - Diwakar Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Mizoram University, Aizawl, 796004, India.
| | - Seung Mok Lee
- Department of Health and Environment, Catholic Kwandong University, 24, Beomil-ro 579beon-gil, Gangneung 210-701, South Korea
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68
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Ren S, Boo C, Guo N, Wang S, Elimelech M, Wang Y. Photocatalytic Reactive Ultrafiltration Membrane for Removal of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Wastewater Effluent. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:8666-8673. [PMID: 29984583 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Biological wastewater treatment is not effective in removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, we fabricated a photocatalytic reactive membrane by functionalizing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane with titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles for the removal of ARB and ARGs from a secondary wastewater effluent. The TiO2-modified PVDF membrane provided complete retention of ARB and effective photocatalytic degradation of ARGs and integrons. Specifically, the total removal efficiency of ARGs (i.e., plasmid-mediated floR, sul1, and sul2) with TiO2-modified PVDF membrane reached ∼98% after exposure to UV irradiation. Photocatalytic degradation of ARGs located in the genome was found to be more efficient than those located in plasmid. Excellent removal of integrons (i.e., intI1, intI2, and intI3) after UV treatment indicated that the horizontal transfer potential of ARGs was effectively controlled by the TiO2 photocatalytic reaction. We also evaluated the antifouling properties of the TiO2-UF membrane to demonstrate its potential application in wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojie Ren
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Qingdao 266237 , China
| | - Chanhee Boo
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Ning Guo
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Qingdao 266237 , China
| | - Shuguang Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Qingdao 266237 , China
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Yunkun Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Qingdao 266237 , China
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
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69
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Zhu Y, Wang Y, Zhou S, Jiang X, Ma X, Liu C. Robust performance of a membrane bioreactor for removing antibiotic resistance genes exposed to antibiotics: Role of membrane foulants. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 130:139-150. [PMID: 29216481 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.11.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are an emerging concern in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as dissemination of ARGs can pose a serious risk to human health. Few studies, however, have quantified ARGs in membrane bioreactors (MBRs), although MBRs have been widely used for both municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. To reveal the capacity of MBRs for removal of ARGs and the response of membrane fouling after antibiotic exposure, five typical ARG subtypes (sulI, sulII, tetC, tetX and ereA) and int1 were quantified affiliated by systematic membrane foulants analysis in a laboratory-scale anoxic/aerobic membrane bioreactor (A/O-MBR). Sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline hydrochloride additions increased ARG abundances by 0.5-1.4 orders of magnitude in the activated sludge, while the ARG removal performance of the membrane module remained stable (or even increased with ARG absolute abundance in several cases), with the abundance of removed ARGs ranging from 0.6 to 5.6 orders of magnitude. Specifically, the distribution of ARGs in membrane foulants accounted for 13%-25% of the total absolute abundance of all tested MBR samples. Indeed, substantial fouling occurred after the antibiotic additions, with the mean concentrations of soluble microbial product (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) increasing by 340% and 220%, respectively, in a membrane fouling cycle; moreover, the contents of EPS and SMP in the membrane foulants were significantly correlated with the ARG absolute abundance of membrane foulants (p < 0.05), among which more significant correlations occurred between both the protein and polysaccharide of foulants than that with humic acid. The dense membrane fouling layer and the membrane itself constituted dual barriers that effectively avoided the leakage of ARGs from the membrane module. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the proliferation and removal of ARGs in MBR systems, and highlight the contribution of membrane fouling to ARG removals in terms of the potential of MBR as an effective strategy to reduce ARG levels in WWTP effluent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijing Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Yayi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Shuai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Xuxin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Xiao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Chao Liu
- Shanghai Youlin Zhuyuan Sewage Investment and Development co. ltd, Shanghai 200125, China
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70
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Reusing Treated Wastewater: Consideration of the Safety Aspects Associated with Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes. WATER 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/w10030244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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71
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Schwermer CU, Krzeminski P, Wennberg AC, Vogelsang C, Uhl W. Removal of antibiotic resistant E. coli in two Norwegian wastewater treatment plants and by nano- and ultra-filtration processes. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2018; 77:1115-1126. [PMID: 29488975 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2017.642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The effectivity of different treatment stages at two large wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in Oslo, Norway, to remove antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli from municipal wastewater was investigated. The WWTPs were effective in reducing the total cultivable E. coli. The E. coli in WWTP samples were mainly resistant to ampicillin (6-27%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (5-24%), and, to a lesser extent, tetracycline (3-14%) and ciprofloxacin (0-7%). In the first WWTP, a clear decrease in the percentage of E. coli resistant to these antibiotics was found, with the main removal occurring during physical/chemical treatment. In the second WWTP, the percentage of cultivable resistant E. coli did not display a considerable change. During laboratory-scale membrane filtration of WWTP effluents using ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes, all E. coli, including those resistant to antibiotics, were removed completely. The results imply that UF and NF processes are potent measures to remove antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) during post-treatment of WWTP effluents, thus reducing the potential spread of antibiotic resistance in the receiving aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pawel Krzeminski
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway E-mail:
| | | | - Christian Vogelsang
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway E-mail:
| | - Wolfgang Uhl
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway E-mail:
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72
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Guo XP, Yang Y, Lu DP, Niu ZS, Feng JN, Chen YR, Tou FY, Garner E, Xu J, Liu M, Hochella MF. Biofilms as a sink for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the Yangtze Estuary. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 129:277-286. [PMID: 29156392 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Biofilms are ubiquitous throughout aquatic environments and they are thought to promote the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs). This study focused on the occurrence and distribution of five types of ARG in naturally-occurring biofilms, in comparison to associated sediment and water samples, from the Yangtze Estuary, which borders the meta-city of Shanghai, China. The detection frequency and abundances of most ARGs showed the following order: biofilm > sediment > water, which can be attributed to a high level of antibiotics and metals that can accelerate the generation and propagation of ARGs in biofilms. Most of ARG abundances were contributed by extracellular DNA (eDNA) in biofilm and sediment samples. ARGs (sul1, sul2, tetA and tetW) in eDNA were significantly correlated with TOC in both biofilm and sediment samples. Furthermore, both intracellular DNA-associated ARGs per gram of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and eDNA-associated ARGs per gram of non-MBC and were higher in biofilms than sediments, and the partitioning coefficients of ARGs in eDNA between biofilm and water were higher than those between sediment and water. Our results provide new insight for evaluating the occurrence and abundance of ARGs in aquatic environments, confirming that biofilms are a significant sink for ARGs in the estuarine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Pan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China; State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200062, China.
| | - Da-Pei Lu
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Zuo-Shun Niu
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jing-Nan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yu-Ru Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Fei-Yun Tou
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Emily Garner
- Charles E. Via, Jr., Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 418 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Jiang Xu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh 15213, USA
| | - Min Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Michael F Hochella
- The Center for NanoBioEarth, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Geosciences Group, Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA
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73
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Barancheshme F, Munir M. Strategies to Combat Antibiotic Resistance in the Wastewater Treatment Plants. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2603. [PMID: 29387043 PMCID: PMC5776126 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main goal of this manuscript is to review different treatment strategies and mechanisms for combating the antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) in the wastewater environment. The high amount of antibiotics is released into the wastewater that may promote selection of ARB and ARGs which find their way into natural environments. Emerging microbial pathogens and increasing antibiotic resistance among them is a global public health issue. The propagation and spread of ARB and ARGs in the environment may result in an increase of antibiotic resistant microbial pathogens which is a worldwide environmental and public health concern. A proper treatment of wastewater is essential before its discharge into rivers, lake, or sewage system to prevent the spread of ARB and ARGs into the environment. This review discusses various treatment options applied for combating the spread of ARB and ARGs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). It was reported that low-energy anaerobic-aerobic treatment reactors, constructed wetlands, and disinfection processes have shown good removal efficiencies. Nanomaterials and biochar combined with other treatment methods and coagulation process are very recent strategies regarding ARB and ARGs removal and need more investigation and research. Based on current studies a wide-ranging removal efficiency of ARGs can be achieved depending on the type of genes present and treatment processes used, still, there are gaps that need to be further investigated. In order to find solutions to control dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the environment, it is important to (1) study innovative strategies in large scale and over a long time to reach an actual evaluation, (2) develop risk assessment studies to precisely understand occurrence and abundance of ARB/ARGs so that their potential risks to human health can be determined, and (3) consider operating and environmental factors that affect the efficiency of each treatment mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fateme Barancheshme
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Mariya Munir
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
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74
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Guo X, Yan Z, Zhang Y, Xu W, Kong D, Shan Z, Wang N. Behavior of antibiotic resistance genes under extremely high-level antibiotic selection pressures in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 612:119-128. [PMID: 28850832 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants (PWWTPs), which receive wastewater containing extremely high levels of antibiotics, are regarded as potential hot spots for antibiotic-resistance development in the environment. Six sampling campaigns in six PWWTPs in Southeastern China were carried out to assess the prevalence and fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Different genes were monitored in different PWWTPs (PWWTP A: lincosamides; PWWTP B: aminoglycosides and macrolides; PWWTP C: quinolones; PWWTP D: macrolides and quinolones; PWWTP E: cephalosporins; and PWWTP F: quinolones and macrolides) using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), according to the antibiotic type produced. The levels of typical ARG subtypes in the final effluents ranged from (1.03±0.91)×101 to (6.78±0.21)×107copies/mL. The absolute abundance of ARGs in effluents accounted for 0%-577% of influents to the six PWWTPs with a median value of 6%. Most of the ARGs are transported to the dewatered sludge, with concentrations from (1.38±0.21)×105 to (6.84±0.43)×1010copies/g dry weight (dw). In different treatment units (before/after biological units), a clear trend of proliferation or attenuation was not observed for the ARGs, aside from a strong attenuation in moving bed bio-film reactor (MBBR) in PWWTP C. Through correlation analyses, this study demonstrated that the bacterial abundance and antibiotic concentrations within the PWWTPs influenced the fate of the associated ARGs, and this was possibly related primarily to the intrinsic resistance mechanisms of corresponding ARGs. Macrolide ARGs, which tend to locate in plasmids and transposons, positively correlate weakly with total macrolide antibiotic concentrations but positively correlate strongly with 16S rRNA concentrations. Furthermore, ARG concentrations in the wastewater from fermentation were significantly higher than in the wastewater from chemical synthesis and preparation. This is the first comprehensive study on the behavior of antibiotic resistance genes under extremely high-level antibiotic selection pressures in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants (PWWTPs) in Southeastern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyan Guo
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042, China; Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Zheng Yan
- Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100082, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Weili Xu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042, China; Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Deyang Kong
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042, China; Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Zhengjun Shan
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042, China; Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Na Wang
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042, China; Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, Nanjing 210042, China.
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75
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Eramo A, Delos Reyes H, Fahrenfeld NL. Partitioning of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Fecal Indicators Varies Intra and Inter-Storm during Combined Sewer Overflows. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2024. [PMID: 29104562 PMCID: PMC5655003 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) degrade water quality through the release of microbial contaminants in CSO effluent. Improved understanding of the partitioning of microbial contaminants onto settleable particles can provide insight into their fate in end-of-pipe treatment systems or following release during CSO events. Sampling was performed across the hydrograph for three storm events as well as during baseflow and wet weather in three surface waters impacted by CSO. qPCR was performed for select antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) and a marker gene for human fecal indicator organisms (BacHum) in samples processed the partitioning of microbial contaminants on settleable particles versus suspended in the aqueous phase. Amplicon sequencing was performed on both fractions of storm samples to further define the timing and partitioning of microbial contaminants released during CSO events. Samples collected at the CSO outfall exhibited microbial community signatures of wastewater at select time points early or late in the storm events. CSOs were found to be a source of ARG. In surrounding surface waters, sul1 was higher in samples from select locations during wet weather compared to baseflow. Otherwise, ARG concentrations were variable with no differences between baseflow and wet weather conditions. The majority of ARG at the CSO outfall were observed on the attached fraction of samples: 64-79% of sul1 and 59-88% of tet(G). However, the timing of peak ARG and human fecal indicator marker gene BacHum did not necessarily coincide with observation of the microbial signature of wastewater in CSO effluent. Therefore, unit processes that remove settleable particles (e.g., hydrodynamic separators) operated throughout a CSO event would achieve up to (0.5-0.9)-log removal of ARG and fecal indicators by removing the attached fraction of measured genes. Secondary treatment would be required if greater removal of these targets is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Eramo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Hannah Delos Reyes
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Nicole L Fahrenfeld
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
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Abstract
Broad and increasing interest in sustainable wastewater treatment has led a paradigm shift towards more efficient means of treatment system operation. A key aspect of improving overall sustainability is the potential for direct wastewater effluent reuse. Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) have been identified as an attractive option for producing high quality and nutrient-rich effluents during the treatment of municipal wastewaters. The introduction of direct effluent reuse does, however, raise several safety concerns related to its application. Among those concerns are the microbial threats associated with pathogenic bacteria as well as the emerging issues associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the potential for proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes. Although there is substantial research evaluating these topics from the perspectives of anaerobic digestion and membrane bioreactors separately, little is known regarding how AnMBR systems can contribute to pathogen and antibiotic resistance removal and propagation in wastewater effluents. The aim of this review is to provide a current assessment of existing literature on anaerobic and membrane-based treatment systems as they relate to these microbial safety issues and utilize this assessment to identify areas of potential future research to evaluate the suitability of AnMBRs for direct effluent reuse.
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77
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Fate and Persistence of a Pathogenic NDM-1-Positive Escherichia coli Strain in Anaerobic and Aerobic Sludge Microcosms. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:AEM.00640-17. [PMID: 28411227 PMCID: PMC5479002 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00640-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of emerging biological pollutants in treated wastewater effluents has gained attention due to increased interest in water reuse. To evaluate the effectiveness of the removal of such contaminants by the conventional wastewater treatment process, the fate and decay kinetics of NDM-1-positive Escherichia coli strain PI7 and its plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were assessed in microcosms of anaerobic and aerobic sludge. Results showed that E. coli PI7 decayed at a significantly lower rate under anaerobic conditions. Approximate half-lives were 32.4 ± 1.4 h and 5.9 ± 0.9 h in the anaerobic and aerobic microcosms, respectively. In the aerobic microcosms, after 72 h of operation, E. coli PI7 remained detectable, but no further decay was observed. Instead, 1 in every 10,000 E. coli cells was identified to be recalcitrant to decay and persist indefinitely in the sludge. ARGs associated with the E. coli PI7 strain were detected to have transferred to other native microorganisms in the sludge or were released to the liquid fraction upon host decay. Extracellular DNA quickly degraded in the liquid fraction of the aerobic sludge. In contrast, no DNA decay was detected in the anaerobic sludge water matrix throughout the 24-h sampling period. This study suggests an increased likelihood of environmental dispersion of ARGs associated with anaerobically treated wastewater effluents and highlights the potential importance of persister cells in the dissemination of E. coli in the environment during reuse events of treated wastewater. IMPORTANCE This study examines the decay kinetics of a pathogenic and antibiotic resistant strain of Escherichia coli in microcosms simulating biological treatment units of aerobic and anaerobic sludge. The results of this study point at a significantly prolonged persistence of the E. coli and the associated antibiotic resistance gene in the anaerobic sludge. However, horizontal transfer of the plasmid encoding the antibiotic resistance gene was detected in the aerobic sludge by a cultivation method. A subpopulation of persister E. coli cells was also detected in the aerobic sludge. The findings of this study suggest potential areas of concern arising from pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant E. coli during both anaerobic and aerobic sludge treatment processes.
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78
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Li N, Sheng GP, Lu YZ, Zeng RJ, Yu HQ. Removal of antibiotic resistance genes from wastewater treatment plant effluent by coagulation. WATER RESEARCH 2017; 111:204-212. [PMID: 28088717 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), as emerging environmental contaminants, have become a threat to human health. Recent studies have demonstrated that the effluent from wastewater treatment plants is a significant point source of ARGs released into the environment. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of coagulation technology in the removal of ARGs from treated wastewater. Specifically, we measured the removal of five ARGs (two sulfonamide resistance genes, sulI and sulII, and three tetracycline resistance genes, tetO, tetW and tetQ) and the class 1 integron intI1 gene via the application of two coagulants: FeCl3 and polyferric chloride (PFC). Moreover, the removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), NH3N and total phosphorus (TP) in the coagulation process was investigated. The coagulation process effectively removed ARGs from the effluent with 0.5-log to 3.1-log reductions. Significant removal correlations were observed between dissolved NH3N and DOC, intI1 and sulI, sulII and tetO, sulII and tetW, and tetO and tetW, implying that the co-removal of DOC, dissolved NH3N, the intI1 gene and different ARGs played an important role in ARG loss during coagulation with Fe-based coagulants. These results indicate that coagulation may play a promising role in ARG reduction in wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Guo-Ping Sheng
- CAS Key Laboratory for Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Yong-Ze Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Raymond J Zeng
- CAS Key Laboratory for Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Han-Qing Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
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79
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Yuan QB, Guo MT, Wei WJ, Yang J. Reductions of bacterial antibiotic resistance through five biological treatment processes treated municipal wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:19495-503. [PMID: 27384166 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7048-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants are hot spots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, limited studies have been conducted to compare the reductions of ARB and ARGs by various biological treatment processes. The study explored the reductions of heterotrophic bacteria resistant to six groups of antibiotics (vancomycin, gentamicin, erythromycin, cephalexin, tetracycline, and sulfadiazine) and corresponding resistance genes (vanA, aacC1, ereA, ampC, tetA, and sulI) by five bench-scale biological reactors. Results demonstrated that membrane bioreactor (MBR) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR) significantly reduced ARB abundances in the ranges of 2.80∼3.54 log and 2.70∼3.13 log, respectively, followed by activated sludge (AS). Biological filter (BF) and anaerobic (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket, UASB) techniques led to relatively low reductions. In contrast, ARGs were not equally reduced as ARB. AS and SBR also showed significant potentials on ARGs reduction, whilst MBR and UASB could not reduce ARGs effectively. Redundancy analysis implied that the purification of wastewater quality parameters (COD, NH4 (+)-N, and turbidity) performed a positive correlation to ARB and ARGs reductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Bin Yuan
- College of Environment, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211800, China
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Mei-Ting Guo
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Wu-Ji Wei
- College of Environment, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211800, China
| | - Jian Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
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80
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Wang J, Mao D, Mu Q, Luo Y. Fate and proliferation of typical antibiotic resistance genes in five full-scale pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 526:366-73. [PMID: 25991498 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the characteristics of 10 subtypes of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) for sulfonamide, tetracycline, β-lactam and macrolide resistance and the class 1 integrase gene (intI1). In total, these genes were monitored in 24 samples across each stage of five full-scale pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants (PWWTPs) using qualitative and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). The levels of typical ARG subtypes in the final effluents ranged from (2.08±0.16)×10(3) to (3.68±0.27)×10(6) copies/mL. The absolute abundance of ARGs in effluents accounted for only 0.6%-59.8% of influents of the five PWWTPs, while the majority of the ARGs were transported to the dewatered sludge with concentrations from (9.38±0.73)×10(7) to (4.30±0.81)×10(10) copies/g dryweight (dw). The total loads of ARGs discharged through dewatered sludge was 7-308 folds higher than that in the raw influents and 16-638 folds higher than that in the final effluents. The proliferation of ARGs mainly occurs in the biological treatment processes, such as conventional activated sludge, cyclic activated sludge system (CASS) and membrane bio-reactor (MBR), implying that significant replication of certain subtypes of ARGs may be attributable to microbial growth. High concentrations of antibiotic residues (ranging from 0.14 to 92.2 mg/L) were detected in the influents of selected wastewater treatment systems and they still remain high residues in the effluents. Partial correlation analysis showed significant correlations between the antibiotic concentrations and the associated relative abundance of ARG subtypes in the effluent. Although correlation does not prove causation, this study demonstrates that in addition to bacterial growth, the high antibiotic residues within the pharmaceutical WWTPs may influence the proliferation and fate of the associated ARG subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jilu Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Daqing Mao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Quanhua Mu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Yi Luo
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
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81
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Smith AL, Skerlos SJ, Raskin L. Membrane biofilm development improves COD removal in anaerobic membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment. Microb Biotechnol 2015; 8:883-94. [PMID: 26238293 PMCID: PMC4554476 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane biofilm development was evaluated to improve psychrophilic (15°C) anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treatment of domestic wastewater. An AnMBR containing three replicate submerged membrane housings with separate permeate collection was operated at three levels of membrane fouling by independently controlling biogas sparging for each membrane unit. High membrane fouling significantly improved permeate quality, but resulted in dissolved methane in the permeate at a concentration two to three times the equilibrium concentration predicted by Henry's law. Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA targeting Bacteria and Archaea and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting the methyl coenzyme-M reductase (mcrA) gene in methanogens indicated that the membrane biofilm was enriched in highly active methanogens and syntrophic bacteria. Restoring fouled membranes to a transmembrane pressure (TMP) near zero by increasing biogas sparging did not disrupt the biofilm's treatment performance, suggesting that microbes in the foulant layer were tightly adhered and did not significantly contribute to TMP. Dissolved methane oversaturation persisted without high TMP, implying that methanogenesis in the biofilm, rather than high TMP, was the primary driving force in methane oversaturation. The results describe an attractive operational strategy to improve treatment performance in low-temperature AnMBR by supporting syntrophy and methanogenesis in the membrane biofilm through controlled membrane fouling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Smith
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, 2350 Hayward Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Steven J Skerlos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, 2350 Hayward Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2350 Hayward Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Lutgarde Raskin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, 2350 Hayward Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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82
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Al-Jassim N, Ansari MI, Harb M, Hong PY. Removal of bacterial contaminants and antibiotic resistance genes by conventional wastewater treatment processes in Saudi Arabia: Is the treated wastewater safe to reuse for agricultural irrigation? WATER RESEARCH 2015; 73:277-90. [PMID: 25687420 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2015.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to assess the removal efficiency of microbial contaminants in a local wastewater treatment plant over the duration of one year, and to assess the microbial risk associated with reusing treated wastewater in agricultural irrigation. The treatment process achieved 3.5 logs removal of heterotrophic bacteria and up to 3.5 logs removal of fecal coliforms. The final chlorinated effluent had 1.8 × 10(2) MPN/100 mL of fecal coliforms and fulfils the required quality for restricted irrigation. 16S rRNA gene-based high-throughput sequencing showed that several genera associated with opportunistic pathogens (e.g. Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Arcobacter, Legionella, Mycobacterium, Neisseria, Pseudomonas and Streptococcus) were detected at relative abundance ranging from 0.014 to 21 % of the total microbial community in the influent. Among them, Pseudomonas spp. had the highest approximated cell number in the influent but decreased to less than 30 cells/100 mL in both types of effluent. A culture-based approach further revealed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was mainly found in the influent and non-chlorinated effluent but was replaced by other Pseudomonas spp. in the chlorinated effluent. Aeromonas hydrophila could still be recovered in the chlorinated effluent. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) determined that only chlorinated effluent should be permitted for use in agricultural irrigation as it achieved an acceptable annual microbial risk lower than 10(-4) arising from both P. aeruginosa and A. hydrophila. However, the proportion of bacterial isolates resistant to 6 types of antibiotics increased from 3.8% in the influent to 6.9% in the chlorinated effluent. Examples of these antibiotic-resistant isolates in the chlorinated effluent include Enterococcus and Enterobacter spp. Besides the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates, tetracycline resistance genes tetO, tetQ, tetW, tetH, tetZ were also present at an average 2.5 × 10(2), 1.6 × 10(2), 4.4 × 10(2), 1.6 × 10(1) and 5.5 × 10(3) copies per mL of chlorinated effluent. Our study highlighted that potential risks associated with the reuse of treated wastewater arise not only from conventional fecal indicators or known pathogens, but also from antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Al-Jassim
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Environmental Science and Engineering, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 4700 King Abdullah Boulevard, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Ikram Ansari
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Environmental Science and Engineering, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 4700 King Abdullah Boulevard, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Moustapha Harb
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Environmental Science and Engineering, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 4700 King Abdullah Boulevard, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pei-Ying Hong
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Environmental Science and Engineering, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 4700 King Abdullah Boulevard, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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83
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Du J, Geng J, Ren H, Ding L, Xu K, Zhang Y. Variation of antibiotic resistance genes in municipal wastewater treatment plant with A(2)O-MBR system. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:3715-3726. [PMID: 25263411 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3552-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The variation of five antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)-tetG, tetW, tetX, sul1, and intI1-in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant with A(2)O-MBR system was studied. The concentrations of five resistance genes both in influent and in membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent decreased as sul1 > intI1 > tetX > tetG > tetW, and an abundance of sul1 was statistically higher than three other tetracycline resistance genes (tetG, tetW, and tetX) (p < 0.05). The concentrations of five ARGs in the influent were all higher in spring (median 10(5.81)-10(7.32) copies mL(-1)) than they were in other seasons, and tetW, tetX, and sul1 reached its lowest concentration in autumn (10(4.61)-10(6.81) copies mL(-1)). The concentration of ARGs in wastewater decreased in the anaerobic effluent and anoxic effluent, but increased in the aerobic effluent, and then sharply declined in the MBR effluent. The reduction of tetW, intI1, and sul1 was all significantly positively correlated with the reduction of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in the wastewater treatment process (p < 0.01). The concentration of ARGs (copies mg(-1)) in sludge samples increased along the treatment process, but the abundance of five ARGs (ratio of ARGs to 16S rDNA) remained the same from anaerobic to anoxic to aerobic basins, while an increment ratio in MBR was observed for all ARGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Du
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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84
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Yi T, Kim TG, Cho KS. Fate and behavior of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing genes in municipal sewage treatment plants. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2015; 50:1160-1168. [PMID: 26191990 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2015.1047673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) have the capability of hydrolyzing a variety of the newer β-lactam antibiotics, including the third-generation cephalosporins and monobactams known as a rapidly evolving group of ESBLs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence and fate of β-lactamase producing genes (CTX-M type 1, type2, CTX-M probe for all groups except CTX-M-1, and TEM, SHV, OXA) through wastewater treatment utilities. β-lactamase producing genes in influent, digested sludge, activated sludge, and disinfected effluent were monitored. The results showed that influent contained high level of all target genes, and all CTX-M types, SHV, and OXA gene decreased significantly in biological treatment process such as activated sludge process and anaerobic digestion, however, TEM type was not effectively eliminated. Possibly, host microbes of TEM could be most resistant in target genes or to some extent gene transfer occurred in wastewater treatment processes. All target genes were significantly reduced during disinfection. Consequently, wastewater treatment process apparently reduced host microbes carrying β-lactamase producing genes effectively, although they are selectively removed in biological processes. In addition, the significant reduction during disinfection was shown, although slightly differences of removal efficiency were observed in resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taewoo Yi
- a Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea
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85
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Antibiotic Resistance Elements in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Scope and Potential Impacts. THE HANDBOOK OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/698_2015_361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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86
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Yang Y, Li B, Zou S, Fang HHP, Zhang T. Fate of antibiotic resistance genes in sewage treatment plant revealed by metagenomic approach. WATER RESEARCH 2014; 62:97-106. [PMID: 24937359 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2014.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance has become a serious threat to human health. Sewage treatment plant (STP) is one of the major sources of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in natural environment. High-throughput sequencing-based metagenomic approach was applied to investigate the broad-spectrum profiles and fate of ARGs in a full scale STP. Totally, 271 ARGs subtypes belonging to 18 ARGs types were identified by the broad scanning of metagenomic analysis. Influent had the highest ARGs abundance, followed by effluent, anaerobic digestion sludge and activated sludge. 78 ARGs subtypes persisted through the biological wastewater and sludge treatment process. The high removal efficiency of 99.82% for total ARGs in wastewater suggested that sewage treatment process is effective in reducing ARGs. But the removal efficiency of ARGs in sludge treatment was not as good as that in sewage treatment. Furthermore, the composition of microbial communities was examined and the correlation between microbial community and ARGs was investigated using redundancy analysis. Significant correlation between 6 genera and the distribution of ARGs were found and 5 of the 6 genera included potential pathogens. This is the first study on the fate of ARGs in STP using metagenomic analysis with high-throughput sequencing and hopefully would enhance our knowledge on fate of ARGs in STP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bing Li
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shichun Zou
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Herbert H P Fang
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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87
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Smith AL, Stadler LB, Cao L, Love NG, Raskin L, Skerlos SJ. Navigating wastewater energy recovery strategies: a life cycle comparison of anaerobic membrane bioreactor and conventional treatment systems with anaerobic digestion. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:5972-5981. [PMID: 24742289 DOI: 10.1021/es5006169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate emerging anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology in comparison with conventional wastewater energy recovery technologies. Wastewater treatment process modeling and systems analyses were combined to evaluate the conditions under which AnMBR may produce more net energy and have lower life cycle environmental emissions than high rate activated sludge with anaerobic digestion (HRAS+AD), conventional activated sludge with anaerobic digestion (CAS+AD), and an aerobic membrane bioreactor with anaerobic digestion (AeMBR+AD). For medium strength domestic wastewater treatment under baseline assumptions at 15 °C, AnMBR recovered 49% more energy as biogas than HRAS+AD, the most energy positive conventional technology considered, but had significantly higher energy demands and environmental emissions. Global warming impacts associated with AnMBR were largely due to emissions of effluent dissolved methane. For high strength domestic wastewater treatment, AnMBR recovered 15% more net energy than HRAS+AD, and the environmental emissions gap between the two systems was reduced. Future developments of AnMBR technology in low energy fouling control, increased flux, and management of effluent methane emissions would make AnMBR competitive with HRAS+AD. Rapid advancements in AnMBR technology must continue to achieve its full economic and environmental potential as an energy recovery strategy for domestic wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Smith
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan , 2350 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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88
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More RP, Mitra S, Raju SC, Kapley A, Purohit HJ. Mining and assessment of catabolic pathways in the metagenome of a common effluent treatment plant to induce the degradative capacity of biomass. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2014; 153:137-146. [PMID: 24355504 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.11.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 11/24/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Metagenome analysis was used to understand the microbial community in activated sludge treating industrial wastewaters at a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in South India. The taxonomic profile mapped onto National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) taxonomy using MEtaGenome ANalyzer (MEGAN), demonstrated that the most abundant domain belonged to prokaryotes, dominated by bacteria. Bacteria representing nine phyla were identified from the sequence data including representatives from two new phyla, Synergistetes and Elusimicrobia. Functional analysis of the metagenome, with specific reference to the metabolism of aromatic compounds, revealed the dominance of genes of the central meta-cleavage pathway. This information was used to improve the degradative efficiency in the wastewater treatment plant. A pilot scale plant was set up with 200L of activated sludge using salicylate induced sludge and results demonstrated 52% removal in chemical oxygen demand (COD) against non-induced biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi P More
- Environmental Genomics Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur 440020 (MH), India
| | - Suparna Mitra
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Sajan C Raju
- Environmental Genomics Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur 440020 (MH), India
| | - Atya Kapley
- Environmental Genomics Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur 440020 (MH), India.
| | - Hemant J Purohit
- Environmental Genomics Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur 440020 (MH), India
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89
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Pruden A. Balancing water sustainability and public health goals in the face of growing concerns about antibiotic resistance. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:5-14. [PMID: 24279909 DOI: 10.1021/es403883p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Global initiatives are underway to advance the sustainability of urban water infrastructure through measures such as water reuse. However, there are growing concerns that wastewater effluents are enriched in antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes, and thus could serve as a contributing factor to growing rates of antibiotic resistance in human infections. Evidence for the role of the water environment as a source and pathway for the spread of antimicrobial resistance is examined and key knowledge gaps are identified with respect to implications for sustainable water systems. Efforts on the part of engineers along with investment in research in epidemiology, risk assessment, water treatment and water delivery could advance current and future sustainable water strategies and help avoid unintended consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Pruden
- Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
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90
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Pruden A, Larsson DJ, Amézquita A, Collignon P, Brandt KK, Graham DW, Lazorchak JM, Suzuki S, Silley P, Snape JR, Topp E, Zhang T, Zhu YG. Management options for reducing the release of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes to the environment. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2013; 121:878-85. [PMID: 23735422 PMCID: PMC3734499 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1206446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 446] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing concern worldwide about the role of polluted soil and water environments in the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. OBJECTIVE Our aim in this study was to identify management options for reducing the spread of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistance determinants via environmental pathways, with the ultimate goal of extending the useful life span of antibiotics. We also examined incentives and disincentives for action. METHODS We focused on management options with respect to limiting agricultural sources; treatment of domestic, hospital, and industrial wastewater; and aquaculture. DISCUSSION We identified several options, such as nutrient management, runoff control, and infrastructure upgrades. Where appropriate, a cross-section of examples from various regions of the world is provided. The importance of monitoring and validating effectiveness of management strategies is also highlighted. Finally, we describe a case study in Sweden that illustrates the critical role of communication to engage stakeholders and promote action. CONCLUSIONS Environmental releases of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria can in many cases be reduced at little or no cost. Some management options are synergistic with existing policies and goals. The anticipated benefit is an extended useful life span for current and future antibiotics. Although risk reductions are often difficult to quantify, the severity of accelerating worldwide morbidity and mortality rates associated with antibiotic resistance strongly indicate the need for action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Pruden
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - D.G. Joakim Larsson
- Institute for Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alejandro Amézquita
- Unilever-Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Sharnbrook, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Collignon
- Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia
| | - Kristian K. Brandt
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - David W. Graham
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - James M. Lazorchak
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Satoru Suzuki
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Peter Silley
- MB Consult Limited, Southampton, United Kingdom
- University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
| | - Jason R. Snape
- AstraZeneca, Brixham Environmental Laboratory, Brixham, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Topp
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yong-Guan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, China
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