Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking water
ABSTRACT Corrosion inhibitors, including zinc orthophosphate, sodium orthophosphate, and sodium silicate, are commonly used to prevent the corrosion of drinking water infrastructure. Metals such as zinc are known stressors for antibiotic resistance selection, and phosphates can increase microbial gr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2023-10-01
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| Series: | mSphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00307-23 |
| _version_ | 1797651028750893056 |
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| author | Lee K. Kimbell Emily Lou LaMartina Stan Kohls Yin Wang Ryan J. Newton Patrick J. McNamara |
| author_facet | Lee K. Kimbell Emily Lou LaMartina Stan Kohls Yin Wang Ryan J. Newton Patrick J. McNamara |
| author_sort | Lee K. Kimbell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Corrosion inhibitors, including zinc orthophosphate, sodium orthophosphate, and sodium silicate, are commonly used to prevent the corrosion of drinking water infrastructure. Metals such as zinc are known stressors for antibiotic resistance selection, and phosphates can increase microbial growth in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS). Yet, the influence of corrosion inhibitor type on antimicrobial resistance in DWDS is unknown. Here, we show that sodium silicates can decrease antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), while zinc orthophosphate increases ARB and ARGs in source water microbial communities. Based on controlled bench-scale studies, zinc orthophosphate addition significantly increased the abundance of ARB resistant to ciprofloxacin, sulfonamides, trimethoprim, and vancomycin, as well as the genes sul1, qacEΔ1, an indication of resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds, and the integron-integrase gene intI1. In contrast, sodium silicate dosage at 10 mg/L resulted in decreased bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance selection compared to the other corrosion inhibitor additions. Source water collected from the drinking water treatment plant intake pipe resulted in less significant changes in ARB and ARG abundance due to corrosion inhibitor addition compared to source water collected from the pier at the recreational beach. In tandem with the antibiotic resistance shifts, significant microbial community composition changes also occurred. Overall, the corrosion inhibitor sodium silicate resulted in the least selection for antibiotic resistance, which suggests it is the preferred corrosion inhibitor option for minimizing antibiotic resistance proliferation in DWDS. However, the selection of an appropriate corrosion inhibitor must also be appropriate for the water chemistry of the system (e.g., pH, alkalinity) to minimize metal leaching first and foremost and to adhere to the lead and copper rule. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern across the globe and was recently labeled the silent pandemic. Scientists aim to identify the source of antibiotic resistance and control points to mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance. Drinking water is a direct exposure route to humans and contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria and associated resistance genes. Corrosion inhibitors are added to prevent metallic pipes in distribution systems from corroding, and the type of corrosion inhibitor selected could also have implications on antibiotic resistance. Indeed, we found that sodium silicate can minimize selection of antibiotic resistance while phosphate-based corrosion inhibitors can promote antibiotic resistance. These findings indicate that sodium silicate is a preferred corrosion inhibitor choice for mitigation of antibiotic resistance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:09:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45d11cfea5d84eaf9589fe316afd7d5a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2379-5042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:09:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mSphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-45d11cfea5d84eaf9589fe316afd7d5a2023-10-24T16:32:15ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSphere2379-50422023-10-018510.1128/msphere.00307-23Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking waterLee K. Kimbell0Emily Lou LaMartina1Stan Kohls2Yin Wang3Ryan J. Newton4Patrick J. McNamara5Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Marquette University , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USASchool of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USADepartment of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Marquette University , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USASchool of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USADepartment of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Marquette University , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USAABSTRACT Corrosion inhibitors, including zinc orthophosphate, sodium orthophosphate, and sodium silicate, are commonly used to prevent the corrosion of drinking water infrastructure. Metals such as zinc are known stressors for antibiotic resistance selection, and phosphates can increase microbial growth in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS). Yet, the influence of corrosion inhibitor type on antimicrobial resistance in DWDS is unknown. Here, we show that sodium silicates can decrease antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), while zinc orthophosphate increases ARB and ARGs in source water microbial communities. Based on controlled bench-scale studies, zinc orthophosphate addition significantly increased the abundance of ARB resistant to ciprofloxacin, sulfonamides, trimethoprim, and vancomycin, as well as the genes sul1, qacEΔ1, an indication of resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds, and the integron-integrase gene intI1. In contrast, sodium silicate dosage at 10 mg/L resulted in decreased bacterial growth and antibiotic resistance selection compared to the other corrosion inhibitor additions. Source water collected from the drinking water treatment plant intake pipe resulted in less significant changes in ARB and ARG abundance due to corrosion inhibitor addition compared to source water collected from the pier at the recreational beach. In tandem with the antibiotic resistance shifts, significant microbial community composition changes also occurred. Overall, the corrosion inhibitor sodium silicate resulted in the least selection for antibiotic resistance, which suggests it is the preferred corrosion inhibitor option for minimizing antibiotic resistance proliferation in DWDS. However, the selection of an appropriate corrosion inhibitor must also be appropriate for the water chemistry of the system (e.g., pH, alkalinity) to minimize metal leaching first and foremost and to adhere to the lead and copper rule. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern across the globe and was recently labeled the silent pandemic. Scientists aim to identify the source of antibiotic resistance and control points to mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance. Drinking water is a direct exposure route to humans and contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria and associated resistance genes. Corrosion inhibitors are added to prevent metallic pipes in distribution systems from corroding, and the type of corrosion inhibitor selected could also have implications on antibiotic resistance. Indeed, we found that sodium silicate can minimize selection of antibiotic resistance while phosphate-based corrosion inhibitors can promote antibiotic resistance. These findings indicate that sodium silicate is a preferred corrosion inhibitor choice for mitigation of antibiotic resistance.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00307-23antimicrobial resistancemetalszincsodium orthophosphatepollution control |
| spellingShingle | Lee K. Kimbell Emily Lou LaMartina Stan Kohls Yin Wang Ryan J. Newton Patrick J. McNamara Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking water mSphere antimicrobial resistance metals zinc sodium orthophosphate pollution control |
| title | Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking water |
| title_full | Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking water |
| title_fullStr | Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking water |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking water |
| title_short | Impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and microbial communities in drinking water |
| title_sort | impact of corrosion inhibitors on antibiotic resistance metal resistance and microbial communities in drinking water |
| topic | antimicrobial resistance metals zinc sodium orthophosphate pollution control |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00307-23 |
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