The drinking water treatment process as a potential source of affecting the bacterial antibiotic resistance

Author: Bai, X.; Ma, X.; Xu, F.; Li, J.; Zhang, H.; Xiao, X.

Description: Two waterworks, with source water derived from the Huangpu or Yangtze River in Shanghai, were investigated, and the effluents were plate-screened for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) using five antibiotics: ampicillin (AMP), kanamycin (KAN), rifampicin (RFP), chloramphenicol (CM) and streptomycin (STR). The influence of water treatment procedures on the bacterial antibiotic resistance rate and the changes that bacteria underwent when exposed to the five antibiotics at concentration levels ranging from 1 to 100 mug/mL were studied. Multi-drug resistance was also analyzed using drug sensitivity tests. The results indicated that bacteria derived from water treatment plant effluent that used the Huangpu River rather than the Yangtze River as source water exhibited higher antibiotic resistance rates against AMP, STR, RFP and CM but lower antibiotic resistance rates against KAN. When the antibiotic concentration levels ranged from 1 to 10 mug/mL, the antibiotic resistance rates of the bacteria in the water increased as water treatment progressed. Biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration played a key role in increasing the antibiotic resistance rate of bacteria. Chloramine disinfection can enhance antibiotic resistance. Among the isolated ARB, 75% were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Ozone oxidation, BAC filtration and chloramine disinfection can greatly affect the relative abundance of bacteria in the community.

Subject Headings: China; Disinfection; Drinking Water/microbiology; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Water Microbiology; Water Purification/methods; Antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB); Biological activated carbon; Drinking water; Multidrug resistance; Water treatment process

Keywords: The drinking water treatment process as a potential source of affecting the bacterial antibiotic resistance

Publication year: 2015

Journal or book title: The Science of the Total Environment

Volume: 533

Issue:

Pages: 24-31

Find the full text : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969715302813

Find more like this one (cited by): https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=3594396702452100398&as_sdt=1000005&sciodt=0,16&hl=en

Type: Journal Article

Serial number: 2554