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Macrì M, Bonetta S, Di Cesare A, Sabatino R, Corno G, Catozzo M, Pignata C, Mecarelli E, Medana C, Carraro E, Bonetta S. Antibiotic resistance and pathogen spreading in a wastewater treatment plant designed for wastewater reuse. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024:125051. [PMID: 39357555 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/29/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Climate change significantly contributes to water scarcity in various regions worldwide. While wastewater reuse is a crucial strategy for mitigating water scarcity, it also carries potential risks for human health due to the presence of pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). Antibiotic resistance represents a Public Health concern and, according to the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, wastewater role in selecting and spreading ARB must be monitored. Our aim was to assess the occurrence of ARB, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and potential pathogenic bacteria throughout a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) designed for water reuse. Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate potential association between ARB and ARGs with antibiotics and heavy metals. The results obtained revealed the presence of ARB, ARGs and pathogenic bacteria at every stage of the WWTP. Notably, the most prevalent ARB and ARG were sulfamethoxazole-resistant bacteria (up to 7.20 log CFU mL-1) and sulII gene (up to 5.91 log gene copies mL-1), respectively. The dominant pathogenic bacteria included Arcobacter, Flavobacterium and Aeromonas. Although the abundance of these elements significantly decreased during treatment (influent vs. effluent, p < 0.05), they were still present in the effluent designated for reuse. Additionally, significant correlations were observed between heavy metal concentrations (copper, nickel and selenium) and antibiotic resistance elements (AmRB, TRB, ARB total abundance and sulII) (r ≥ 0.6079, p < 0.05). These results underscore the importance of monitoring the role of WWTP in spreading antibiotic resistance, in line with the One Health approach. Additionally, our findings suggest the need of interventions to reduce human health risks associated with the reuse of wastewater for agriculture purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Macrì
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Sara Bonetta
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Cesare
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sabatino
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Corno
- National Research Council of Italy - Water Research Institute (CNR-IRSA), Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Largo Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marta Catozzo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Cristina Pignata
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | - Enrica Mecarelli
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 44, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | - Claudio Medana
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Via Nizza 44, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Carraro
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Piazza Polonia 94, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | - Silvia Bonetta
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy.
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Zhang D, Peng Y, Chan CL, On H, Wai HKF, Shekhawat SS, Gupta AB, Varshney AK, Chuanchuen R, Zhou X, Xia Y, Liang S, Fukuda K, Medicherla KM, Tun HM. Metagenomic Survey Reveals More Diverse and Abundant Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Municipal Wastewater Than Hospital Wastewater. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:712843. [PMID: 34526976 PMCID: PMC8435860 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.712843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alongside antibiotic resistance, co-selection of antibiotics, biocides, and metal resistance is a growing concern. While hospital wastewater is considered a hotspot for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes (ARGs), the scenario in India, one of the biggest consumers of antibiotics, remains poorly described. In this study, we used metagenomic sequencing to characterize ARGs and biocide/metal resistance genes (BMRGs) in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Jaipur City of India. We observed a significantly lower richness and abundance of ARGs in the influent of a WWTP exclusively receiving hospital wastewater when compared to other three WWTPs involving municipal wastewater treatment. Several tetracycline and macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin resistance genes were enriched in influents of these three municipal wastewater-related treatment plants, whereas hospital wastewater had a higher abundance of genes conferring resistance to disinfectant-related compounds such as synergize and wex-cide-128, reflecting the patterns of antibiotic/disinfectant use. Of note, in the wastewater system with more chemicals, there was a strong correlation between the numbers of ARGs and BMRGs potentially harbored by common hosts. Our study highlights significant influxes of ARGs from non-hospital sources in Jaipur City, and thus more attention should be paid on the emergence of ARGs in general communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengwei Zhang
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ye Peng
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chak-Lun Chan
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hilda On
- HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hogan Kok-Fung Wai
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | | | | | - Alok Kumar Varshney
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology, Jaipur, India.,Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Mesra, Ranchi, India
| | - Rungtip Chuanchuen
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Xudong Zhou
- Institute of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yankai Xia
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Suisha Liang
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Keiji Fukuda
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Krishna Mohan Medicherla
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology, Jaipur, India.,Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Birla Institute of Scientific Research, Mesra, Ranchi, India
| | - Hein M Tun
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Li S, Zhang C, Li F, Hua T, Zhou Q, Ho SH. Technologies towards antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) removal from aquatic environment: A critical review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 411:125148. [PMID: 33486226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been recognized as emerging pollutants that are widely distributed and accumulated in most of aquatic environment. Although many ARGs-removal technologies are employed, a corresponding discussion of merits and limitations of known technologies is still currently lacking. More importantly, the removal mechanisms of ARGs remain unclear, hindering their ecological feasibility. Thus, further in-depth studies are highly required. In this review, the occurrence and risk of ARGs in aquatic environment are introduced, and the main routes and potential impacts of ARGs dissemination are enumerated. In addition, several novel ARGs detection methods are critically reviewed. Notably, to ensure greater applicability of these technologies, systematic information on how recent technologies impact the ARGs removal and control are comprehensively compared and summarized. Finally, future research directions to alleviate the risk of ARGs in aquatic environment are briefly introduced. Taken together, this review provides useful information to facilitate the development of innovative and feasible ARGs removal technologies and increase their economic viability and ecological sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150090, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Remediation and Pollution Control for Urban Ecological Environmental, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Chaofan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150090, China
| | - Fengxiang Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Remediation and Pollution Control for Urban Ecological Environmental, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Tao Hua
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Remediation and Pollution Control for Urban Ecological Environmental, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Qixing Zhou
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Remediation and Pollution Control for Urban Ecological Environmental, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Shih-Hsin Ho
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150090, China.
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Langbehn RK, Michels C, Soares HM. Antibiotics in wastewater: From its occurrence to the biological removal by environmentally conscious technologies. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 275:116603. [PMID: 33578315 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this critical review, we explored the most recent advances about the fate of antibiotics on biological wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Although the occurrence of these pollutants in wastewater and natural streams has been investigated previously, some recent publications still expose the need to improve the detection strategies and the lack of information about their transformation products. The role of the antibiotic properties and the process operating conditions were also analyzed. The pieces of evidence in the literature associate several molecular properties to the antibiotic removal pathway, like hydrophobicity, chemical structure, and electrostatic interactions. Nonetheless, the influence of operating conditions is still unclear, and solid retention time stands out as a key factor. Additionally, the efficiencies and pathways of antibiotic removals on conventional (activated sludge, membrane bioreactor, anaerobic digestion, and nitrogen removal) and emerging bioprocesses (bioelectrochemical systems, fungi, and enzymes) were assessed, and our concern about potential research gaps was raised. The combination of different bioprocess can efficiently mitigate the impacts generated by these pollutants. Thus, to plan and design a process to remove and mineralize antibiotics from wastewater, all aspects must be addressed, the pollutant and process characteristics and how it is the best way to operate it to reduce the impact of antibiotics in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayane Kunert Langbehn
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil.
| | - Camila Michels
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil.
| | - Hugo Moreira Soares
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil.
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