Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated Sludge
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important reservoir in the development of drug resistance phenomenon and they provide a potential route of antibiotic resistance gene (ARGs) dissemination in the environment. The aim of this study was to assess the role of WWTPs in the spread of ARGs. Untre...
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MDPI AG
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/3/387 |
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| author | Adriana Osińska Ewa Korzeniewska Monika Harnisz Sebastian Niestępski |
| author_facet | Adriana Osińska Ewa Korzeniewska Monika Harnisz Sebastian Niestępski |
| author_sort | Adriana Osińska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important reservoir in the development of drug resistance phenomenon and they provide a potential route of antibiotic resistance gene (ARGs) dissemination in the environment. The aim of this study was to assess the role of WWTPs in the spread of ARGs. Untreated and treated wastewater samples that were collected from thirteen Polish WWTPs (applying four different modifications of activated sludge⁻based treatment technology) were analyzed. The quantitative occurrence of genes responsible for the resistance to beta-lactams and tetracyclines was determined using the real-time PCR method. Such genes in the DNA of both the total bacterial population and of the <i>E. coli</i> population were analyzed. Among the tested genes that are responsible for the resistance to beta-lactams and tetracyclines, <i>bla</i><sub>OXA</sub> and <i>bla</i><sub>TEM</sub> and <i>tet</i>A were dominant, respectively. This study found an insufficient reduction in the quantity of the genes that are responsible for antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment processes. The results emphasize the need to monitor the presence of genes determining antibiotic resistance in the wastewater that is discharged from treatment plants, as they can help to identify the hazard that treated wastewater poses to public health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T06:52:51Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T06:52:51Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj.art-ddd9bd3736b648699ee07bc1d2ebed062022-12-21T21:59:32ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172019-01-019338710.3390/app9030387app9030387Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated SludgeAdriana Osińska0Ewa Korzeniewska1Monika Harnisz2Sebastian Niestępski3Department of Environmental Microbiology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, PolandDepartment of Environmental Microbiology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, PolandDepartment of Environmental Microbiology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, PolandDepartment of Environmental Microbiology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, PolandWastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important reservoir in the development of drug resistance phenomenon and they provide a potential route of antibiotic resistance gene (ARGs) dissemination in the environment. The aim of this study was to assess the role of WWTPs in the spread of ARGs. Untreated and treated wastewater samples that were collected from thirteen Polish WWTPs (applying four different modifications of activated sludge⁻based treatment technology) were analyzed. The quantitative occurrence of genes responsible for the resistance to beta-lactams and tetracyclines was determined using the real-time PCR method. Such genes in the DNA of both the total bacterial population and of the <i>E. coli</i> population were analyzed. Among the tested genes that are responsible for the resistance to beta-lactams and tetracyclines, <i>bla</i><sub>OXA</sub> and <i>bla</i><sub>TEM</sub> and <i>tet</i>A were dominant, respectively. This study found an insufficient reduction in the quantity of the genes that are responsible for antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment processes. The results emphasize the need to monitor the presence of genes determining antibiotic resistance in the wastewater that is discharged from treatment plants, as they can help to identify the hazard that treated wastewater poses to public health.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/3/387wastewaterqPCRtetracyclinesbeta-lactamsARGs<i>Escherichia coli</i> |
| spellingShingle | Adriana Osińska Ewa Korzeniewska Monika Harnisz Sebastian Niestępski Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated Sludge Applied Sciences wastewater qPCR tetracyclines beta-lactams ARGs <i>Escherichia coli</i> |
| title | Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated Sludge |
| title_full | Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated Sludge |
| title_fullStr | Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated Sludge |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated Sludge |
| title_short | Quantitative Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes among Bacterial Populations from Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Activated Sludge |
| title_sort | quantitative occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes among bacterial populations from wastewater treatment plants using activated sludge |
| topic | wastewater qPCR tetracyclines beta-lactams ARGs <i>Escherichia coli</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/3/387 |
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